Originally published on LinkedIn, 24 December 2025.
Every business has moments where values are tested.
Not in the big, dramatic decisions, but in the quieter ones. The ones that don’t always make sense on paper. The ones where logic and humanity have to sit at the same table.
For us at Mooeys, closing on Christmas Eve is one of those moments.
And I want to share why we do it. Not as a policy update, but as an insight into The Mooeys Way.
Christmas Eve Changed for Me When I Became a Mum
Before children, Christmas Eve was busy, festive… but it was just another day in the calendar. After children, it became something else entirely.
The anticipation. The excitement. The magic. The quiet moments that don’t repeat themselves. It became my personal favourite day of the festive period.
And a few years ago, I found myself sitting at home with my children on Christmas Eve, soaking it all in, while knowing our teams were in salon, flat out, working one of the busiest days of the year.
That disconnect stayed with me. Not as guilt. But as a question.
“Just Because We Can… Doesn’t Mean We Should”
Let’s be clear: Mooeys is a business. We are fully employed. We need to be open when clients want appointments and closing on Christmas Eve makes very little sense from a purely transactional point of view.
And when I first shared the idea with fellow salon owners, many thought I was mad.
But leadership isn’t just about maximising every available trading hour. It’s about deciding what kind of business you want to build. And for me, Mooeys has never been about extracting every last drop. It’s been about building something that lasts.
People-First Doesn’t Mean Business-Blind
One thing I’m very conscious of is this: “People-first” should never mean “business second”.
The two have to work together, otherwise the model isn’t sustainable. So when the idea of closing on Christmas Eve came up, the real question wasn’t should we do this? It was:
How do we do this without disadvantaging our clients, our franchise partners, or the business itself? And that’s where The Mooeys Way really comes to life.
The Best Ideas Usually Come From the Team
This wasn’t a top-down decision.
I spoke with our salon managers, our leadership teams and our franchise partners
And asked a very practical question: How could this work in real life?
The solution was simple, and brilliant!
Instead of losing a day’s revenue, team members scheduled to work Christmas Eve picked up an extra shift in the two weeks leading up to Christmas.
Some salons extended hours. Some opened on the Sunday before. Rotas flexed. Diaries stayed full.
Clients still got their appointments. Revenue stayed protected. And the teams got Christmas Eve back.
We trialled it last year — and it worked.
Not Perfect. But Intentional.
Of course, not every salon can follow the exact same approach.
For example, our Winchester salon operates within a shopping centre and is tied to centre trading hours. In those cases, we adapt rather than force uniformity. Shorter days, adjusted rotas, flexibility where possible.
The Mooeys Way isn’t about rigid rules. It’s about principles.
The Three Questions I Always Come Back To
Whenever I’m making a business decision, big or small, I ask myself three things:
Is it good for the business?
Is it good for the client?
Is it good for the team?
When you can answer “yes” to all three, you’re usually on the right path.
Closing on Christmas Eve felt like one of those rare moments where the answer genuinely was yes.
Culture Is Not a Soft Metric
This is something I care deeply about. Culture isn’t a “nice extra”. It’s not fluffy. And it’s certainly not accidental.
Culture affects:
retention
performance
recruitment
client experience
brand reputation
long-term value
Teams who feel respected don’t just work harder, they stay longer. And when people stay longer, businesses become stronger.
There Is More Than One Way to Build a Successful Business
I fully understand why some businesses stay open every possible day. For some models, that’s the right choice. But at Mooeys, we believe success doesn’t have to come at the expense of people.
Sometimes, choosing to slow down for a moment creates more momentum in the long run. Sometimes, giving something back builds more loyalty than any incentive scheme ever could.
Small Decisions Shape Big Cultures
Closing on Christmas Eve might look like a small thing. But to our teams, it says:
we see you
your life outside work matters
your family matters
and your hard work is appreciated
That’s The Mooeys Way.
And as we grow, as a brand, as a franchise network, as a community — those small decisions are the ones that define us.
Because how you do business matters just as much as how well you do it.
And Finally, a Little Christmas Love 🎄
As we head into the festive season, I just want to wish everyone a truly lovely Christmas — whatever that looks like for you.
Whether you’re spending it surrounded by family, working, resting, travelling, celebrating loudly, keeping things quiet, or simply getting through it one day at a time. I hope you find moments of calm, connection and kindness along the way.
This time of year can be magical, complicated, emotional and joyful all at once, and all of that is okay.
From all of us at Mooeys, thank you for being part of our world this year. We’re so grateful for our teams, our clients, our partners and our wider community, and we’re excited for what’s to come.
Wishing you a Christmas filled with warmth, love and whatever you need most right now. 💛🐮✨