From Prince to Spalon: Turning creativity into a luxury experience brand

He took a bankrupt, struggling salon with 23 demoralized employees and built it into a thriving multi-location business with nearly 400 team members, nearly $3 million in annual gift card deferred revenue, and a reputation for legendary customer service and technical excellence. In this episode of Growth Diaries, Mitchell Wherley joins host Sudheer Koneru to dive into the turnaround playbook that worked: listening first, rebuilding trust fast, crafting a mission statement that still holds decades later, and building experience gifting into a growth engine. What You’ll Learn: • How to turn around a failing business by listening first • Why building a mission statement in year one matters more than waiting • The gift card strategy that drives sustainable growth • Why pricing should reward your best providers and retain your team • How to retain talented team members through life's transitions • The skill that separates great leaders from good ones Mitchell Wherley is the Owner of Spalon Montage, a luxury salon and spa brand that has dominated the Minneapolis-Saint Paul market for nearly 34 years. With a unique background spanning design, film, and hospitality, including years working with iconic entertainment figures, Mitchell brought an artist's perspective to the wellness industry, transforming a struggling salon into a thriving multi-location business with nearly 400 team members. Known for his expertise in experiential retail, team culture development, and customer service excellence, Mitchell has built Spalon Montage into an award-winning brand recognized for legendary technical services and high-touch guest experiences. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here. Chapters: [01:31] From Prince’s Aesthetic Team to Buying a Struggling Salon [02:46] Buying a Business That Was Basically Bankrupt [06:40] 1:1 Meetings with Every Team Member [08:37] Building a Living, Breathing Mission Statement [12:39] Selling Packages, Not Services [19:23] The Biggest Operational Mistake [21:48] Mitchell’s Hiring Philosophy [24:26] Benefits, Earnings, Kindness, and Metrics [25:46] A Different Compensation Lever [28:11] Career-Life Design [30:49] Retail Reality Check [33:16] Events as a Growth Channel [36:22] Community Involvement Committee [38:19] Ongoing Training, Academy Model, and Tech Enabling Innovation [39:40] What Mitchell Would Do Differently [40:31] Advice to New Spa/Salon Entrepreneurs [45:02] The Trait That Carried Him