Now Live : 2025 Global Most Loved Workplaces® — See the Top 100 Companies
The 2025 America’s Top 100 is live. See the list →
The 2025 America’s Top 100 is live. See the list →
Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to The Leader Show with Lou Carter. In this episode, Lou interviews Amy Errett, the CEO, and founder of Madison Reed. The speakers discuss Madison Reed’s recognition as a Most Loved Workplace and its commitment to employees and customers.
So, without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Lou starts the conversation by asking Amy how Madison Reed develops and creates a sense of community within the company. In response, Amy explains that for Madison Reed, community means letting people bring their true and whole selves to work and celebrating that.
She shares some examples of the company’s traditions, such as Amy having lunch with the entire team every Wednesday and playing the “two truths and a lie” game to get to know each other better. They also have heartwarming shoutouts where employees recognize each other’s accomplishments and values.
Additionally, Amy mentions that at Madison Reed, they have optional coffee meetings on Friday mornings, where they discuss life questions and conduct listening sessions to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
The CEO highlights that Madison Reed is very focused on these traditions, which help create a sense of community and belonging within the company.
Subsequently, Lou asks Amy to share some more details about the programs at Madison Reed. In reply, Amy mentions that in the Friday morning coffee meetings, she poses questions such as the best and worst job people have had, who their mentors are, or what song they would like to play if they were baseball players.
According to her, this allows employees to reveal their joy, humanity, and quirks, creating an environment where people feel fully seen and valued. This, in turn, helps unleash the best version of themselves.
Amy strongly believes that the company’s greatest asset is its people, and its job is to create a space where people have the ability to be the best of themselves. She mentions that Madison Reed also has slack channels for various interests, such as dogs, young parents, and bakers, to foster a sense of community and belonging beyond work.
All in all, the company’s focus on inclusion and belonging creates the perfect circumstances for growing something extraordinary that has a mission and a purpose.
Moving on, Lou asks Amy to share an example of someone who stood out at Madison Reed. Amy shares the story of a certified, licensed colorist who collaborated with a development team and worked on a sophisticated algorithm to emulate what a stylist would look at in someone’s hair to get the desired result.
After 18 months, she expressed her desire to shift her career and become a software engineer. Instead of being upset about losing an employee, Madison Reed celebrated her and helped her make the transition to pursue her passion. Amy highlights that this has happened with other employees who have become recruiters or started work in R&D.
The CEO believes their job at Madison Reed is to open up possibilities for people to believe in their greatness and if they want, move on to their next adventure. She isn’t afraid when people leave because it means they’ve left a positive mark on someone’s life.
Next, Lou and Amy discuss the culture and environment of Madison Reed salons. Amy explains that they aim to provide a respite for women who are managing various aspects of their lives. She suggests that hair is an important part of a woman’s identity, and Madison Reed salons create an environment where women can feel welcome and empowered.
The salons are designed to be modern, hip, and welcoming, with natural elements and a sense of inclusivity. The goal is for customers to leave feeling on top of the world and unstoppable, which leads to positive word-of-mouth and repeat business.
Amy strongly believes that success of the Madison Reed salons is primarily due to having the right general manager or leader. The company has a unique approach to its business that they are working on teaching to others. They believe that they can teach anyone how to use their products and technology, but having the right people is what makes the difference.
The company focuses on culture and creating a welcoming and empowering environment for customers and employees. She also highlights the importance of celebrating success and finding joy in work, and creating a 50-50 partnership with employees.
All in all, Madison Reed’s values include love, fairness, and joy, and the company strives to uphold these values in all aspects of its business.
Next, Amy highlights the importance of trust, empathy, and self-awareness in fostering a positive work culture. She emphasizes the need for open communication and the willingness to address conflicts and mistakes constructively.
Additionally, she mentions the importance of celebrating success and maintaining the company’s values as it grows.
The CEO concludes that a company’s success is closely tied to how it manages its culture and growth. She mentions that the company aims to provide women with a welcoming and empowering environment where they can feel awesome and leave with a renewed sense of confidence.
Thank you for listening!
