Smarter marketing. Stronger client relationships. Sustainable salon growth.

How Gold Society, a boutique salon in Cronulla, uses Phorest to turn client connection into business growth

Tucked away from the high street, Gold Society combines transformational hair, genuine human connection, and intelligent marketing. With Phorest powering the client journey, this boutique destination salon stays visible, personal, and primed for growth.

Having everything in one system and not having to outsource different parts of our marketing has been such a huge benefit for us.

Jess Barrow

Creative Director

Using Phorest, Gold Society has…

Created a connected client journey that begins before each appointment and continues long after checkout.

Made marketing feel more personal with targeted emails, newsletters, and timely client communications.

Empowered its team and informed its growth through mobile tools, motivating goals, and clear business reporting.

Hidden away, but impossible to forget

Gold Society is a boutique salon in Cronulla, Sydney, founded by Jess Barrow in 2014. After ten years running a salon in Albury, Jess moved to Sydney – but it wasn’t long before the pull of building a team and creative space of her own became too strong to ignore.

Today, Jess leads a talented team of seven, specialising in transformational work that helps clients achieve the hair they’ve been dreaming of.

“Being able to give clients the hair of their dreams is something that really excites us.” –Jess Barrow

With no street frontage, Gold Society has never relied on passing trade. Instead, it has become a true destination: building its reputation through beautiful results, word of mouth, and meaningful relationships with its local community.

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The client journey starts before the chair

At Gold Society, a great appointment begins well before a client steps through the door. Using Phorest, the team has created thoughtful pre-appointment touchpoints, including email reminders, confirmations, and Digital Consultation Forms.

Sent in advance, these forms give clients time and space to share their preferences, concerns, and expectations… including details they may not feel comfortable raising face to face.

“It’s a great opportunity to get information from clients that we may not get in the chair.” –Jess Barrow

The connection continues after checkout with automated review requests. Positive feedback gives Gold Society something to celebrate, while less-than-perfect experiences become opportunities to listen, respond, and strengthen the relationship. With Client Reconnect, the team can also reach clients who have fallen outside their usual visiting pattern, keeping the salon top of mind.

Personal, never pushy

Gold Society uses Phorest’s marketing tools to connect with clients without overwhelming their inboxes. By segmenting its client database, the salon can send emails, texts, and newsletters that feel timely and genuinely relevant.

“Knowing we can break down the clients we want to send certain things to means we can tailor the content to that particular client.” –Jess Barrow

Each message is another chance to share Gold Society’s personality – turning digital communication into a more human kind of marketing.

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Salon technology that’s a cut above

With PhorestGo, Gold Society’s tech-savvy team can access the information they need from the salon floor. Consultation forms, client histories, and colour notes are all close at hand, making it easier to record details and deliver consistent, personalised experiences.

The app also makes performance more engaging. Team members can follow their targets, commissions, and bonuses day by day, seeing where they are and what they’re working towards.

“It becomes quite fun. They get a little bit competitive, and it’s actually really good for team morale.” –Jess Barrow

For Jess, that means less chasing, greater visibility, and a team motivated to keep progressing.

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Where creative vision meets commercial clarity

Creativity may be at the heart of Gold Society, but clear commercial insight helps that creativity thrive. With Phorest’s reporting tools, Jess can keep a close eye on the numbers behind the salon, without losing valuable time piecing them together.

Every Sunday, an automated report provides a snapshot of the previous week, including average hourly revenue and retail sales. A forward-looking report also shows what is forecast for the week ahead.

“It makes it really easy for me to track, week on week, where we’re at.” –Jess Barrow

From team goals and commission structures to weekly revenue and upcoming forecasts, Phorest gives Jess a clearer view of performance. That means Gold Society can celebrate progress, spot opportunities, and make informed decisions about what comes next.

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Real support from real people

For Jess, great salon software isn’t only about what happens on-screen. It’s also about knowing there’s a real person ready to help when a question arises.

With Phorest Support, Jess can pick up the phone and speak to someone who will listen, troubleshoot, and work through the issue with her. That human connection makes support feel less like submitting a ticket, and more like having an extended team behind the business.

“I love that there are physical people at the end of the phone I can speak to who will troubleshoot with me.” –Jess Barrow

Even when Jess suggests something Phorest doesn’t currently offer, she knows the conversation doesn’t end there. Her feedback can be recorded and shared as an idea for the future, giving her confidence that salons’ needs are being heard.

It’s a personal approach that feels right at home at Gold Society: a salon built on listening closely, creating genuine connections, and making every person feel valued.