Qnity Lightbulb Moments

Hosted by Tom Kuhn

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Aug 2026

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About the show

For salon, spa, and beauty industry leaders who crave clarity, financial success, and real-world inspiration. Hosted by Tom Kuhn—Founder and CEO of Qnity, industry innovator, and former salon owner—each episode features powerful “lightbulb moments” that help leaders make smarter decisions, boost profitability, and unlock growth. From insightful solo episodes to candid conversations with top industry changemakers, you’ll walk away with practical tools, fresh ideas, and a renewed sense of purpose. 🎧 Tune in for your next lightbulb moment—because better business starts with better thinking.

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60 recent

August 31, 202644 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Luke Carlson

What Really Changes as a Business Scales 🤔What does it take to grow from one location to a national brand without losing the culture, customer experience, or clarity that made you successful in the first place?On this episode of Lightbulb Moments, Tom Kuhn sits down with Luke Carlson, Founder and CEO of Discover Strength, to talk about what really changes as a business scales.Luke shares lessons from growing Discover Strength across locations and state lines, including the systems that make scale possible, why simplicity creates focus, how to develop leaders from within, and the shift owners must make from being great technicians to becoming great managers of people.It’s a conversation about growth, but even more, about building a business that can get bigger without becoming more complicated, diluted, or dependent on the founder.For any owner thinking about their next location, their tenth location, or simply how to lead the business they have today, there are plenty of lightbulb moments in this one.

August 21, 202651 min

Lightbulb Moments Episode | Featuring Jason Altmire & Riley Burr

Every generation gets handed the same advice: go to college, get a degree, land a stable job. What if the smartest career move today looks nothing like that?In this episode, Tom sits down with Jason Altmire and Riley Burr, co-authors of Trade Up, a new book on the changing value of higher education. Riley writes from a Gen Z perspective, exploring why so many young people are choosing skilled trades and hands-on careers over a traditional degree, cosmetology among them. Jason brings years of research on the workforce trends driving that shift.A few takeaways to expect: why cosmetology is one of the few careers AI can't easily replace, why Gen Z is drawn to this kind of hands-on, purpose-driven work, and what it means for how you attract and keep great talent in your business.Tune in, you might leave thinking differently about your next hire.

August 1, 202652 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Susan Wos and Mary Beth Berns

Succession Planning in the Beauty Industry: What Every Owner Needs to KnowIn this episode, host Tom Kuhn is joined by two powerhouse voices in beauty business transitions: Susan Wos, founder and principal broker of SalonSpa Connection, the only national brokerage dedicated exclusively to buying and selling salon, spa, and barbershop businesses, and Mary Beth Berns, 40-year industry veteran, former salon co-owner, and business coach helping beauty entrepreneurs move forward with clarity and confidence.Together, they unpack what most owners don't think about until it's too late - from knowing the real value of your business and cleaning up your financials, to the emotional side of letting go and what it means to build a business with the end in mind. They tackle the five most common reasons small businesses are forced to sell, why a happy team directly impacts your valuation, and what happens when succession plans break down.Whether you're just opening your doors or decades into ownership, this conversation is for you.

July 31, 202637 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Tom Kuhn and Candice Gliatto

This episode of Lightbulb Moments explores one of the hottest topics in the salon industry: stylist compensation. With conversation around uncapped commissions, 70% commission models, and bold claims about the future of pay, many salon owners have been looking for a balanced perspective. This episode brings data, experience, and context to the discussion.Drawing on experience through multiple compensation transitions, some highly successful and others that failed, as well as insights from three recent compensation studies by the Qnity Institute, this episode explores compensation, change management, and why the best decisions are rarely driven by headlines alone.Discover more information on the data at Qnity Institute.

July 8, 202640 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Larry Schooler

From Conflict to Collaboration: Practical Wisdom for Leaders with Dr. Larry SchoolerIn this episode, host Tom Kuhn sits down with Dr. Larry Schooler, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and expert in conflict resolution, facilitation, and organizational leadership. Together they unpack the real-world challenges every leader faces from navigating difficult conversations and avoiding the pitfalls of triangulation, to the power of facilitative leadership in driving meaningful team input. Dr. Schooler shares how to create the right conditions for honest dialogue, why transparency is essential before any major change, and how involving your team in decisions builds the kind of trust that sticks. Whether you're managing a compensation conversation, navigating a team transition, or simply trying to get people into the same room productively, this episode delivers practical tools you can put to work immediately.

June 16, 202641 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Jared Sanders

In this episode of Lightbulb Moments, Tom Kuhn and CPA Jared Sanders of Lightheart, Sanders and Associates reveal key findings from the 2025 Salon P&L Study, analyzing financial data from 61 salon companies across 13 states. Together, they explore profitability trends, benchmark metrics, labor costs, revenue growth, and the factors that separate the industry's top-performing salons from the rest. Discover why revenue growth alone isn't enough, the biggest drivers of profitability, and actionable insights salon owners can use to make better decisions and build stronger, more profitable businesses. 💡 Better data. Better decisions. Better outcomes. #LightbulbMoments #SalonBusiness #Profitability #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #SalonOwner #BeautyIndustry #FinancialManagement #Qnity #PandLStudy

June 16, 202643 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Micah Nickens

In this powerful episode of Lightbulb Moments, Tom Kuhn sits down with Micah Nickens for a deeply moving conversation about trauma, healing, presence, and what it truly means to connect with people. After surviving a near-fatal brain injury in 2020, Micah shares how his life, work, and perspective were completely transformed.From rebuilding his life after months in the hospital to discovering deeper meaning behind the chair, Micah opens up about sobriety, stillness, human connection, and why “being seen” matters more than ever in today’s distracted world.This episode is filled with honesty, humor, wisdom, and unforgettable moments that will leave you thinking long after it ends.

May 14, 202636 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Crystal Anderson

In this episode of Lightbulb Moments, Tom Kuhn sits down with Crystal Anderson of Babe Hair Extensions and Beauty Industry Group to explore the rapid growth of the hair extension category and the opportunities it is creating for salons, stylists, and cosmetology schools. Crystal shares how extensions have evolved from a luxury service into a mainstream solution for fullness, confidence, and recurring salon revenue. The conversation dives into the rise of express extension services, the importance of education in building stylist confidence, and how salons can use extensions to increase profitability and client retention. Crystal also discusses the growing role cosmetology schools are playing in preparing future professionals for modern salon services and shares insights on where the industry is headed next. From business growth to beauty education, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways for salon owners, educators, and stylists alike.

April 30, 202641 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring Sudheer Koneru

In this episode of Lightbulb Moments , Tom Kuhn talks with Sudheer Koneru, CEO of Zenoti, about key insights from the 2026 Beauty & Wellness Benchmark Report. They break down flat industry growth, declining new guest traffic, and why “calendar inflation” is hurting bookings. The conversation also explores how top performers are driving results through better utilization, memberships, and online booking—not just more marketing. Plus, a look at how AI is transforming salon operations, from scheduling to smarter decision-making.

April 3, 202644 min

Lightbulb Moments | Featuring: Ameet Kallarackal

In this episode of Lightbulb Moments , Tom Kuhn sits down with Ameet Kallarackal co-founder and CEO of Glammatic, to explore how the salon industry is evolving and what it takes to stay competitive. Ameet shares insights from working with hundreds of premium salons, breaking down how search behavior is shifting and what that means for attracting new clients. From changes in web traffic to the growing challenge of getting guests to return for a second visit, this conversation highlights the trends shaping growth right now. They also discuss why your website remains the “mothership” for new client acquisition and simple ways salons can adapt in a rapidly changing digital landscape. The episode closes with a personal reflection from Ameet on growth and gratitude, proving that some of the most impactful lightbulb moments happen beyond business.