What does it take to build one of Victoria’s largest salons without losing the soul that drew you to the craft?

We sit down with Carla Tedesco, founder of Alarah Hair Studio and TED Haircare, to trace the path from a five-chair startup funded by a scrappy personal loan to a 500m² Mentone HQ with 30 chairs, 10 basins, and a team of 27. Carla shares how empathy became her most reliable performance tool, why clear boundaries protect both home and salon, and how four floor managers and monthly rhythms keep a complex operation calm, focused, and kind.

Carla opens up about beginning her business with a partner and parting ways with respect, then walks us through the near-miss of buying a property with the wrong zoning. That hard lesson sharpened her diligence and ultimately led to a space that houses training, community, and a thriving culture. During COVID, she chose conviction over caution, consolidating multiple sites into a single headquarters that feels more like a small city than a salon—airy, intentional, and built for growth.

Motherhood didn’t slow Carla down; it deepened her purpose. With three kids under four and a recent autism diagnosis for her daughter, she talks about patience, presence, and building psychological safety at work so people can do their best. We dig into the industry’s fragile apprentice pipeline, why completion rates matter, and the practical steps her team uses to support individual learning styles. Carla also introduces TED Haircare, a legacy-driven range of tools named after her children, designed for daily salon use and a distinct identity that travels from chair to classroom to online.

If you care about leadership, culture, and creative business growth, this story is a masterclass in scaling with heart and rigour. Listen, share it with a salon owner who needs a boost, and if it moved you, subscribe and leave a review to help others find the show.

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