Empathy at the Heart of Beauty Leadership with Kayla Bramlet
Kayla Bramlet, Brand President of Frenchies Modern Nail Care, part of Head to Toe Brands, shares how empathy in beauty leadership shows up in safer products, guest experience systems, and two-word morning check-ins, drawing on 14 years with the brand as nail technician, franchisee, and operator.
Empathy in beauty leadership starts with a simple fact: a salon is a people business, from the person in the chair to the owner behind the front desk. In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, host Tullio Siragusa welcomes Kayla Bramlet, Brand President of Frenchies Modern Nail Care, part of the Head to Toe Brands family, who began working in salons at 15 and still owns two Frenchies studios in Minnesota.
In this episode we explore:
• Why empathy matters in beauty and wellness leadership
• How sitting in every seat shapes the way a leader responds
• Why safer products are care for the team, not only the guest
• How a guest experience journey makes care repeatable across studios
• The two-word morning check-in that reads the team’s pulse
• Why operator-led leadership keeps new ideas grounded inside the four walls
Kayla has worked the business from almost every angle: salon professional, studio manager, multi-unit franchisee, Director of Training and Operations, and now Brand President. When a technician calls in with neck pain, she remembers what a pedicure demands and responds as someone who has done the work.
At Frenchies, clean beauty begins with the team. Kayla shares the story of a longtime technician with asthma who could keep doing nails because of the brand’s non-toxic products. When leaders show the team that kind of care, the team carries it forward to guests.
Care also needs systems. Frenchies trains owners, managers, and nail specialists on a guest experience journey that defines a standard and an excellent visit, so franchisees never feel alone. Inside the studio, Kayla opens each day with a short huddle where everyone shares two words for how they are showing up, so she knows who to push and who needs support.
Building care into repeatable systems is the same principle behind B.L.I.S.S. (Building Love Into Scalable Systems), and it is how Zero Company approaches marketing for franchise brands: consistent, human, and grounded in the people who deliver the experience.
Key Takeaways
• (2:45) On why empathy is non-negotiable in beauty and wellness: “it’s a people business, literally, and so empathy has to be involved when we are having a people business.”
• (4:15) On leading from experience, after a week of neck pain reminded her what a pedicure takes: “As a leader, I can have the empathy to say, hey, if somebody calls in sick because their neck is killing them, it’s probably not an excuse.”
• (5:44) On clean beauty as care for the team: “We want to make sure that they’re safe products, not only for the guests, but somewhat more importantly, for the team that is using those products every single day.”
• (18:10) On the two-word pulse check in morning huddles: “in two words, we go around the circle and they say, tired, exhausted, happy, excited. They each have their two words.”
• (23:40) On investing in soft-skills training, quoting a familiar line: “what if I spend all this money training them and then they just leave? What if you don’t and they stay?”
• (32:22) On why operator-led leadership matters: “I will never put an operation in place that doesn’t make sense on the floor or inside the four walls.”
FAQ
Why is empathy important in beauty and wellness leadership?
Kayla Bramlet, Brand President of Frenchies Modern Nail Care, says beauty is literally a people business: empathy builds the trust that gives team members the confidence to deliver caring services to every guest.
What is a two-word check-in for salon teams?
Kayla Bramlet opens morning huddles by asking each team member for two words that describe how they are showing up that day, such as tired or excited, so leaders know who to encourage and who needs support.
How does Frenchies Modern Nail Care make guest care consistent?
Kayla Bramlet explains that Frenchies trains owners, managers, and nail specialists on a guest experience journey that defines a standard and an excellent visit, from before the guest arrives to after they leave.
🎙️ Hosted by Tullio Siragusa
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
Empathy in beauty leadership is not abstract: it shows up in the products a brand chooses, the systems it trains, and the questions leaders ask each morning. Learn more about Frenchies Modern Nail Care at frenchiesnails.com, see Kayla’s guest profile, watch the video, read the companion post Empathy Is an Operating System, or explore more Featured Guest Series conversations.
Brand President
Kayla Bramlet's journey in the nail care industry began when she started working in salons at just 15 years old and she quickly earned her nail technician license while still in high school. Over 10 years ago, she became a studio manager of her local Frenchies before investing in the brand as a multi-unit franchisee. She most recently served as Director of Training and Operations before stepping into the role of Brand President earlier this year. She also owns and operates two Frenchies in Minnesota.
