We had the good fortune of connecting with Justin Gold and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
There is the quote that says, “No risk, No reward.” I have found this to be true time and time again. We take risks all day long, some small some large yet we ALL mostly do it unknowingly. For example a small risk is something so small as walking across the street or getting into our cars, we do without a thought. Yet when most people stop and actually consider taking an intended risk, they freeze or are afraid to do so. Really anything outside of our comfort zone can be viewed as risky, BUT that’s where growth happens and growth is the priceless reward. Personally I have always been a bit of an adrenaline junky, so I have no problem taking risks in both my personal and business worlds. However, as I have gotten older I have come to learn there are different types of risks, I now prefer the more calculated risks. If you are willing to lose sight of the shore how are you going to discover new lands? Not all the things i have tried to do in business even with all the premeditated calculations have worked out but if you never try you will never succeed.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
All of my businesses are in the beauty industry. The largest and most recognized of the five is my hair salon, The Changing Room. The company has been in business for 39 years now and the biggest differentiating factor is our pay structure. Most of our industry compensate their stylist by commission or they run it like a rental space with booth renting. Our salary structure secret sauce of creates a nurturing, supportive and teamwork environment. We have been honored to win the Top 200 Salons in all of North America four times. “Anything that comes easy won’t last and anything that lasts didn’t come easy.” Over night successes take 10 years…. our took longer than that! Perseverance is key to achievement and longevity. Challenges come in all forms, the best way to overcome is to analyze whats working, whats not working and what do we need to do as a team to overcome the hurdle we are facing. I’ve learned happy employee, happy customers. I’ve learned we ALL have a role to play and it truly is a team effort. I’ve learned higher slow, fire fast. I’ve learned that no amount of money is worth more than your core values and integrity. My companies purpose is to beautify the world one person at a time, we do by striving hard to create an extraordinary client experience, for every client every day.

Customer appreciation party at The Changing Room

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well living in South Florida the list is endless. First we would start by taking them to be treated like royalty at The Changing Room (my hair salon). We would spend sometimes shopping and visiting Wynwood to see all the great artwork and awesome graffiti. We would dine at Novikov in downtown Miami then cross the bridge to Brickell to bar hope the small trendy upbeat local spots. The next day the beach is always a MUST I enjoy Hollywood Beach for the boardwalk and the relaxed vibe. We would have dinner on the water at GG’s then hit Social Room for a night of fun games and great drinks! We would definitely have to hit Haulovers Sandbar on the boat or jet skis. Aventura Mall is a great shopping choice along with brunch at Tap 42. The list could go on and on…

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out my high school football coach, Coach Sennett. He pushed me, encouraged me and believed in me. He taught me to be a leader through his own actions, to be strong and not be afraid of what was to come, to shift my perspective, not to be “scared” but “excited” instead. He lifted me up when I was down and taught me to leave it all on the field- he would ask are you hurt or are you injured? Meaning if you’re hurt rub some dirt on it and get back in there if you’re injured you are out of the game. He taught me to have heart and find the grit within. Thank you Coach!

Website: www.ChangingRoomSalons.com
Instagram: @TheChangingRoom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechangingroomsalons/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-changing-room-aventura
Other: @RiseCoachingConsulting