Interview: SOAK Bar
Brad and Carlie, co-founders of SOAK Bar, are the textbook example of a ying and yang duo making ideal business partners. Their left and right brain combination has built a beauty destination that feels unlike any other – which is quite the feat in Melbourne. Read on to learn more about how they make the business of beauty work.
What should people know about SOAK off the bat?
SOAK isn’t just a salon, it’s a vibe.
It’s where beauty meets hospitality. You can get flawless BIAB, sip a cocktail, catch up with friends, or just zone out for an hour. It feels elevated but never intimidating.
We’re obsessed with detail from the lighting, music and shaping of your nails to the energy in the room. It’s self-care, but made fun.
Why a beauty destination and how is SOAK different?
I felt like salons were either transactional or clinical. In, out, next. We wanted to create somewhere people actually wanted to spend time.
SOAK blends high-end beauty with a bar atmosphere. It’s polished but playful. And behind the fun is serious structure, strong systems, strong standards and strong numbers.
We didn’t just build a pretty space. We built a scalable business.
How did you two meet and how does that fit into SOAK?
Brad and I met through friends and very quickly realised we think completely differently which is exactly why it works. I’m big vision, brand, growth, fast decisions. He’s numbers, operations, risk management.
SOAK is literally the intersection of creative chaos and spreadsheets.
Business partnerships are notoriously tricky. How have you made it work?
Communication is everything. We absolutely have our highs and lows that’s normal. But we never sit in the problem. We sit in the solution.
It’s always us versus the issue, not us versus each other.
What’s a big lesson you’ve learned?
Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Expansion looks glamorous, but margins are what let you sleep at night.
Also that systems create freedom. Without them, growth just creates stress.
What are you most proud of?
That SOAK still feels like SOAK. Six and a half years in, and we haven’t diluted the brand. We’ve grown, refined, evolved but the energy is still strong.
And I’m proud that we’re building something bigger than a salon. This is a national brand in the making.
How has Future helped SOAK?
Future helped us think bigger and sharper.
They pushed us to step out of daily operations and look at structure, margins and long-term scalability.
They helped us move from “busy” to “strategic.”
Any exciting future plans?
Always. We’re expanding nationally, entering major CBDs, and refining our model to scale properly. We’re building standalone SOAK destinations in affluent areas. Strategic retail placements in key cities. The goal? To be the go-to premium beauty brand in Australia.
And honestly, we’re just warming up.
Ooft, if that doesn’t get your business brain going, we aren’t sure what will. Click if you’d like to learn more about our business advisory service, or more about SOAK Bar!
