What makes staff stay? It’s a question every salon owner puzzles over, especially in an industry with an average tenure of less than two years. At HARI’s Hair & Beauty Salon in London, however, some stylists have stayed for over three decades.
The secret? It’s not just better pay or bonuses; it’s a sense of belonging.
In a warm and insightful episode of Growth Diaries, host Sudheer Koneru sits down with Lucan Salem, second-generation leader of the five-location salon brand founded by his father, Hari, in 1976. What emerges is a deeply human portrait of how a family business built on care, community, and craft can create a legacy with staying power.
With a background in chemistry, business management, and chartered accountancy at PwC, Lucan brought his corporate expertise to revolutionizing the family business. HARI’s has expanded under his leadership as managing director to five luxury locations across London while maintaining its reputation for excellence in personalized service and staff development.
A business built on belonging
When Lucan surveyed his team, some of whom have been with HARI’s for decades, he asked a simple question: “Why are you still here?”
The most common answer? “We feel part of the family.”
That culture didn’t happen by accident. Hari, an Iranian immigrant who launched the salon when he was 26 years old, created the beauty destination with a singular mission: to look after his team. Early in his career, he knew what it felt like to be undervalued as staff, and he decided to build something different.
“We’ve created a community — not just for our team, but for our clients, too. The businesses that will succeed in the next generation are the ones that focus on community.”
Lucan Salem, Managing Director, HARI’s Hair & Beauty
That community spirit shows up in unexpected ways: breathwork sessions, a weekly run club, and a WhatsApp group where stylists share everything from training updates to personal wins. There’s a sense that the business cares about who they are, not just what they produce.
Training is a growth engine, not a cost center
HARI’s model is simple yet powerful: invest in people, and they’ll help you grow organically.
For decades, education has been core to the brand. Lucan highlights that it’s not just initial training that matters. “It’s about continuous learning,” he says. Their in-house academy serves both entry-level stylists and seasoned professionals. Unlike businesses that cut training in tough times, HARI’s doubles down, seeing education as a long-term investment, not an expense.
The training-first approach also solves a huge pain point: hiring.
“We rarely need to recruit externally. When someone does leave, we look at our own academy first.”
Empowering stylists as entrepreneurs boosts employee retention
Lucan has implemented a flexible, service-specific pricing model that empowers HARI’s stylists to grow their earnings based on their unique strengths and market demand. The innovative model replaces the tiers and arbitrary pay raises typically found in salon businesses.
“If someone is amazing at a specific technique, they’re priced accordingly,” Lucan explains. “We sit down with them and ask: ‘What are you doing differently? Are you ready for a price rise?'”
The philosophy? Every stylist should think of themselves as a business owner.
“We encourage an entrepreneurial mindset. This is your business. What are you doing to grow it?”
Legacy with a modern touch
HARI’s may be nearly 50 years old, but under Lucan’s leadership, it is forward thinking.
Lucan created the “Voices of HARI’s” initiative, a grassroots content and education movement to help stylists embrace digital storytelling and peer learning. Instead of mandating social media content, Lucan allowed stylists to contribute at their own pace.
What started as a rigid structure evolved into something much more powerful: a community of creators, supporting each other and generating ideas from the ground up.
When it was time to improve customer experience, Lucan didn’t dictate the strategy. He gave each salon £10,000 and empowered team-led focus groups to decide how best to use the funds.
Lessons from a life well lived
Lucan never planned to join the family business. With a chemistry degree and PwC on his resume, a future in investment banking seemed more up his alley. When his father offered him the opportunity, though, Lucan took a hard look at his values.
Nine years later, HARI’s stands transformed from a respected salon into a model for how family businesses can evolve without losing their soul.
From offering staff equity opportunities to promoting assistants to operations managers, Lucan shows that success isn’t about growth at all costs – it’s about growth with purpose.
Closing thoughts
In an industry where chasing growth is considered normal, HARI’s is a reminder that a brand’s legacy is built one relationship at a time. What keeps stylists loyal? Not flashy perks or viral videos, but care, ownership, and the belief that this isn’t just a job. It’s a life’s work.
Want the full story? Listen to the Growth Diaries podcast episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Post credit: Fame – The B2B Podcast Agency. Reviewer: Gita Mani, Zenoti
