Pro Beauty Talks

Greg Gilmore is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He has spent more than 15 years mastering the art of hair. He has developed into a unique, talented and comprehensive hair master possessing a true passion for the beauty industry and hair care. At the early age of 16, Greg began assisting and shampooing in local salons. He was eager to get a jump-start on his peers by learning everything he could about hair prior to graduating from cosmetology school in 2004. Greg Gilmore's years of concentration in haircuts and color services have made him one of Los Angeles's top Haircut Experts and Colorists specializing in textured hair. Today, Greg has continued to invest in himself by taking additional education courses in color theory by Paul Mitchell Color Systems, L’Oreal Professional, as well as acquiring a diploma from Vidal Sassoon Academy for Advanced Haircuts.  Greg Gilmore was named one of Cleveland’s top 50 stylists by Blow Magazine in both 2008 and 2009. He was featured as a platform artist at the 2011 Spectrum B

Katharin von Gavel is a trailblazer and an industry leader in the professional pedicure and foot care industry. Katharin spent the first 25 years of her career owning and operating Medi-Spas and Clinics in Canada, USA, South America, and Europe, with a subspecialty in advanced foot care. Always dedicated to education, training, and mentorship, in 2000 Katharin launched the North American School of Podology (NASP), offering a range of educational services to promote best practices, policies and standards for the pedicurist and foot care specialist. In 2007 Katharin recognized the need to increase the awareness and importance of healthy feet due to lifestyle changes and founded Footlogix, the world's first and only Pediceutical foot care line, with the simple philosophy to elevate the pedicure industry and provide professionals around the world with the means to give an exceptional foot care experience. In this podcast, Katharin shares her journey and her incredible focus on her vision for the company.

With decades behind the chair in “big beauty,” Innersense Organic Beauty Founder Greg Starkman’s fascination with the formulation and product development morphed into a passionate obsession after the birth of his special needs’ daughter. Recognizing the parallels between the toxins in conventional beauty products and the alarming number of health issues facing their industry peers, Morgan’s arrival cued Greg and his wife Joanne to trust their inner sense and an organic beauty company was born. As ingredient guru for the socially viral brand, Greg is a leading force in the safe cosmetics movement, pushing the boundaries of green and conscious chemistry with sustainably sourced and meticulously processed ingredients. The brand is lauded with a number of distinguished awards including an Allure Best of Beauty seal for its groundbreaking Hydrating Cream Hairbath and Conditioner duo and I Create Lift Volumizing Foam.  In this podcast, Greg shares his thoughts about the growth of clean and green beauty products a

Ronit Enos is an award-winning ideation coach, public speaker, and business strategist. She practices innovative approaches that allow entrepreneurs to achieve optimal work/life balance. With a diverse leadership background in service and education, including as a special forces training instructor for The Israeli Defense Forces. With a background also as a flight attendant and caterer, she founded and owned Maxime Salon on the south shore of Massachusetts. The salon was an award-winning salon including recognition as Best of Boston, six Salon 200 awards and more. Ronit is a giver and she is inspired by inspiring others and helping them achieve their own personal greatness. So, she became a business strategist and coach. One of the programs that she facilitates is Salon Cadence.  In this podcast, Ronit provides insight on how to capture more time in our lives and how to think and behave like successful business owners. And, you can also make time to give and volunteer. As an example, Ronit’s company gives 1%

We are honored to welcome Robert Schaeffler back to the show today. You may remember that Robert was a guest on Pro Beauty Talks while he was an exec over at Henkel. We caught up with Robert in his new digs in NYC, where he is the CEO of the mega-niche brand Deva Curl. A little back story on this brand that is of interest. Deva Curl is a brand that was founded about 25 years ago and is a portfolio company of Ares Management, LP. Its legacy is as a founder organization. There are two Deva Curl Salons in the city, one in SOHO on Broome and the other on the upper west side on 79th. These two salons serve over 60,000 guests per year.  This growing category of specialty products, services, and education focuses on the needs of the “curly girl”. 65% of today’s population has some kind of texture to their hair. Our culture is changing and it couldn’t be more timely for curly girls and guys to have solutions they are afforded by Deva Curl. Hairdressers, get educated on how to please your curly, textured clients and

As a company grows and evolves it must continually and objectively assess its own effectiveness and make changes. Some may call it “course correction”, others may call it “self-disruption”. Whatever you call it, it is about not being afraid to take risks, do things differently, and trust your instincts. Sport Clips has done just that. This organization embraces change and taking necessary risks has contributed to its success.  Founded by Gordon Logan more than 25 years ago with the first location being in Austin, Texas, the salon chain now boasts more than 1800 locations in the US and Canada. There is no doubt that embracing change comes from the top and that it continues to be one of the most powerful strategies for success. In this episode, Melanie interviews Julie Vargas and Mandy Friendshuh. Julie is an innovative, results-driven leader with over 28 years of experience in the industry. She currently serves as Vice President of Career Opportunities at Sport Clips. Julie has been with the company since the

Our guests on today’s episode are Scott Nichols and Patrick Butler from Floyd’s 99 Barbershop. These two "show up" and represent this incredible organization in very important and meaningful ways. Floyd’s is an alternative twist on an old school classic established in 1999 by brothers Paul, Rob and Bill O'Brien. Floyd’s is not a traditional barbershop. It has thrived over the past twenty years and carved out its niche in this industry. Interestingly, Floyd’s 99 stylists and barbers offer a wide range of services for men & women.. Each salon is designed to have a fun, engaging neighborhood hangout vibe with great music, high energy and lively conversations taking place. Of note, are the unique murals that are painted on the exteriors of the buildings. This spells out the individualism of each location. Patrick is the Technical Director of Education at Floyd’s and has over 25 years of industry experience. He spent 10 years at American Crew as an International Educator where he helped to establish technica

Sam Villa is changing the industry, one hairdresser at a time. Whether teaching face-to-face in small hands-on classes, on the main stage or reaching his millions of social media followers, Sam changes people. He is a true leader that brings out the best in others. As the 2017 NAHA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, he is known for doing things differently to challenge, inspire and motivate change. In this podcast, Sam talks candidly about his journey from being an athlete to a hairdresser inspired by his father who was a barber and Vidal Sassoon. This icon shares his views on education and the importance of continuously growing your skills. He also advises salons and stylists on why they need to view retailing differently and he provides some great tips for re-thinking your retail strategies.  Follow Sam: https://www.samvilla.com/#SamVillaCommunity Facebook: @SamVillaPros YouTube: @SamVillaHair Twitter: @SamVillaPro Instagram,: @SamVillaHair Pinterest: @SamVillaHair

Meet the creative geniuses and co-founders of The Longhairs. This is a company that is all about men with long hair. These "out of the industry" mavericks found a unique niche for guys with "flow". They advocate for hair equality and celebrate men's long manes with hair whips and high fives. They also make Hair Ties For Guys, the finest men's hair ties in the world, and other superior products for men with "lettuce". They are just launching their specialized hair care products designed especially for this global fraternity. Co-founders Chris Healy aka "El Rubio" and Lindsay Barto aka "El Moreno", were college fraternity brothers who started a digital marketing agency in 2012. Inspired by the notion that men shouldn't have to wear the same hair ties as their little sisters, they started The Longhairs as a blog, publishing original content every week and eventually launching Hair Ties For Guys. El Rubio is a writer, traveler, avid skier, and recreational athlete. El Moreno is a creative technology and interact

Angel del Solar knows there is a difference between living by design versus living by default. Angel and his partners did just that. They worked hard and achieved their goals when they developed the prestige grooming brand 18.21 Man Made. Cofounders Aston LaFon, Angel del Solar and David del Solar saw a deficit in the male grooming market and they went for it. Why 18.21 Man Made? The name references two amendments to the U.S. Constitution—the 18th, which initiated Prohibition, and the 21st, which ended the national ban on alcohol. Because these mavericks couldn’t find the men’s goods they had been searching for, they decided to “bootleg” their own. The bottles are cleverly designed to look like old-time beer cans and whiskey flasks! In this podcast, Angel shares his journey as a young hairdresser from Pamplona, Spain to Seattle, Washington where he worked for Gene Juarez Salon and Spa. He then on to open Angelo Mendi salons. After that, he joined the Pureology creative team, and then Enjoy as an art director

Dr. Amir Yazdan is a renown hair restoration specialist with a robust practice. He established Modena Hair & Laser Institute in 2011 and has three office locations including Newport Beach, Beverly Hills, and Las Vegas. After seeing the need for effective products for his clients, Dr. Yazdan began the journey of creating GroMD. This range of haircare formulations was developed to address the needs of people with hair loss concerns. As an extension of beauty and esthetics, hair restoration is a very important part of a person's self-esteem and confidence. In this podcast Dr. Yazdan shares his insights and thoughts about hair loss, hair restoration & future innovation in this highly specialized segment of the industry.

Jerilynn Stephens is a Guild award-winning and six-time Emmy nominated hairstylist. She is head hairstylist for The Voice, Shark Tank, Lip Sync Battle, and Lip Sync Battle Shorties. In addition, she is a personal hairstylist to Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank along with several season winners of The Voice. Jerilynn shares her personal journey with host Melanie Kopeikin and how she found her purpose and passion in the world of hairdressing as a set stylist, eventually growing into her current role as department head. Jerilynn also shares some dark times in her life and how she pulled herself out of addiction and into recovery. Her motto is "dream big or don't bother". She loves sharing her experience of manifesting her life and inspiring others to do the same. Website:  http://www.jerilynnstephens.com Instagram: https://www/instagram.com/jerilynnstephens Book Recommendation: Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn  

Kim Hansen's exposure to the salon industry is unique because she has a view that not many have.  She has knowledge of manufacturers and education, salons succeeding to the highest levels, salons failing, individual success and failure, understanding why various business models succeed and fail. Kim built a successful salon in Los Angeles, California, growing 37% during the worst economy in 30 years.  That was after she lost her home because the government reclassified her booth renters as employees.  She had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes for social security and other employment taxes and penalties.  To save her salon she got serious, implementing systems and strategies that were not necessarily what everyone else was doing, but they worked to put "butts" back in chairs.  Ultimately the business grew to 1.5 million dollars and became a top 200 salon.  Kim's retail business was a whopping 38% of gross revenue. A near-fatal accident left Kim faced with losing the career she spend 30 years

Pat Lazure is the Founder of Rock Paper Shears, which recently introduced a new subscription program that is changing the way stylists and barbers access and maintain high-performance shears. Subscriptions begin at just $11.00 per month (US) and all subscriptions include sharpening and round-trip shipping. The Company is already experiencing widespread adoption; earning itself a fanatical customer base with subscribers in all 50 states. Pat has over 20 years of diverse financial, operational, sales, and merger and acquisition experience within Fortune 500 companies and within several successful startups. He describes himself as a "recovering entrepreneur" and embraces the fact that he is "very much a student of the beauty industry". As an entrepreneur, he is passionate about supporting the needs of stylists and barbers. In this podcast, Pat discusses how his Company is disrupting the crowded field of shear companies, he shares his views on innovation and technology within our industry, and he describes how he

CND co-founder and style director, Jan Arnold, has made it her mission to accelerate the nail industry while keeping a focus on both the professional nail artist and the clients they so carefully service. CND was founded in 1979 by Dr. Stuart Nordstrom (Jan Arnold's father), a practicing dentist who had an idea for a nail enhancement after a patient mentioned that temporary dental caps smelled similar to what was used to sculpt porcelain nails. Shortly afrter, Dr. Stuart Nordstrom invented the nail industry's first monomer formulation product that was natural and non-yellowing-SolarNail. Now, 39 years later, Jan Arnold stands at the forefront as the global leader in professional nail care while delivering a fashion-forward approach to beauty. Jan has helped take the brand to one of the most sought-after beauty companies for the next level runway nails, working with fashion shows worldwide from Libertine and The Blonds, to Ryan Lo and Gareth Pugh. Where fashion shows were once focused on makeup and hair, CND h

With a meteoric career with Henkel under his belt, Robert Schaeffler brings wisdom and a connectivity to the beauty industry that is beautifully matched to where and how our young creatives want to learn, receive information, and grow. In this interview with podcast host Melanie Kopeikin, Robert shares his own journey, how #mydentity came about, and what it is like working with Guy Tang. He also shares his thoughts about the industry, and how social media can be a blessing or a curse. Melanie and Robert explore the concept of "Influencers" and how quickly the term has become watered down and sometimes disingenuous. You won't want to miss this inside look at #mydentity, Guy Tang & #hairbesties shared by Henkel executive and general manager for #mydentity and Sexy Hair, Robert Schaeffler.

This second part of a two-part series highlights two great industry companies that have locations all over the country and some even outside of the country. Both of these companies participate as 'partners' of Beauty Cast Network. meaning that some of their employment opportunities are listed there. That is one way to find out more about what might be available in the way of jobs. During the first half of our podcast, you will hear from Julie Vargas from Sport Clips. In the second half, you will hear from Michael McGraw from SuperCuts. Julie Vargas is an innovative, results-driven leader with over 28 years of service in the industry. She currently serves as Sr. Director of Career Opportunities at Sport Clips and is responsible for creating and building strong programs, sourcing, training, and driving brand awareness and opportunity to attract and retain stylists across their more than 1700+ stores across the country. She is also in her 5th year and is currently serving as 2nd vice chair for the National Accre

After recording Episode 8 of Pro Beauty Talks with Penny Burns from Beauty Cast Network, and learning about its relationship with top salon chains in the country, host Melanie Kopeikin had the chance to sit down with top executives within these growing organizations to discover what they were all about, how they service their clients and their team members, and what makes them unique. Debbie Wiseman, SVP of Hair Cuttery Sales & Operations and Salon Professional began her career with Ratner Companies as a Hair Cuttery Salon Professional in 1980. In 2012 she was promoted to Senior Vice President. In this podcast, Debbie shares the Ratner story, along with her own success journey. She and Melanie discuss what is important to the organization and what opportunities exist within its deep and rich culture. During the second half of the podcast, we had the opportunity to chat with beauty industry vet, Paula Malloy. Paula is the Vice President of Ratner Technical Training, Bubbles, Salon Cielo Sales & Operati

In this six-part series, Neil Ducoff from Strategies focuses in on the 6 most important business outcomes and topics each and every owner must embrace, understand and execute against in their business each and every day. In this sixth episode in the series, Neil discusses why it is important to embrace change and why most owners are afraid to do it. He advises leaders to have absolute clarity on where they are taking their company and why they must "rock their own boat". For more from Neil and the Strategies team visit www.strategies.com

In this six-part series, Neil Ducoff from Strategies focuses in on the 6 most important business outcomes and topics each and every owner must embrace, understand and execute against in their business each and every day. In this fifth episode in the series, Neil discusses the importance of leadership in the salon and how the four business outcomes are tied together. After listening to this episode, check out Neil's book "No-Compromise Leadership: A Higher Standard of Leadership, Thinking, and Behavior". You can find out more by visiting www.strategies.com