Dear Future Professionals,

Whether you dream of becoming a salon owner, an editorial or film hairdresser, or pursuing any other avenue for your artistry, if you can find somebody who’s already there and either read about their lives or make a connection with them in some shape or form and find out what it cost them to build their careers, that’s a huge steppingstone.

Just recently I overheard some young stylists at a top salon in New York. One of them said Vidal Sassoon was the brand name of a blow dryer, another said it was the name of a shampoo, and a third said, “No, he was a human being and he’s dead.” I thought it was tragic that these young stylists didn’t know who to thank for revolutionizing our profession and didn’t understand our industry’s progression.

I started the “I’m Not Just a Hairdresser” documentary film series to change the perception of what it means to be a hairstylist, to uplift our image, and to preserve history in a timeless piece. These films showcase our industry’s history. Part one, “The Legends,” features the icons we all look to: Vidal Sassoon, Trevor Sorbie, and Robert Lobetta. Everything they created we now do in some shape or form. Part two, “Empires,” shows that even the greatest leaders in our industry came from humble beginnings. And part three, “The Leading Ladies of Hair,” shows what it takes to be a successful female stylist. Each of these women faced struggles, emotional challenges, and fears—and they became successful anyway. When you look at Antoinette Beenders leaving Holland as a salon manager, becoming a junior stylist in England where she earned very little income and didn’t speak the language, and ultimately becoming the global creative director of a major product company, that took courage. As Antoinette says, “If I could do it, so can you.”

What goes around comes around. It’s important to know your history.

JEANNE BRAA

Prior to her retirement, Jeanne Braa was undoubtedly the most recognized female platform artist in the world, having shared the stage with none other than Paul Mitchell himself.

As a protégé of Paul Mitchell, Jeanne became the Artistic Director of John Paul Mitchell Systems in 1989. She was also a fashion designer and innovative business entrepreneur. During her impressive career she traveled the world, sharing her talents in thousands of performances. In 1993 she was named the first recipient of the annual North American Hairstylist of the Year (NAHA) Trustees Award, given to the individual who has been the strongest role model for hairdressers in the U.S. In 1999 she was recognized by Modern Salon as one of the top 75 educators of the century.

Jeanne was heralded as a genius in long hair styling and is featured in numerous educational videos for John Paul Mitchell Systems. An icon in the beauty industry, she continues to be the inspirational source for hairdressers worldwide.

Winn Claybaugh says, “Jeanne Braa is a total class act. I am forever challenging our new Future Professionals to learn who Jeanne is and what she accomplished in our industry. She came from very humble beginnings as a single mom working tirelessly in a salon, taking in sewing at night to make ends meet, and yet she retired a very successful and famous woman. My career journey with Jeanne was always filled with fun and laughter. She taught me the importance of humility and to always be approachable. I would watch as thousands of hairdressers clamored around her, because she truly was their inspiration, and she made herself available to them.”

Robert Cromeans, who traveled with Jeanne for ten years and succeeded her as Artistic Director, calls her “the most powerful female I’ve seen on stage to this date. Long before we accepted platform artists, she was truly one of the best. In Boston, they called her the hairdresser’s hairdresser. She taught with her heart. Probably the most loved hairdresser that’s ever been on a stage, she had such a humility and such a humanity. She was irresistible, undeniable. You had to love Jeanne Braa.”

CLICK HERE to listen as another beauty industry legend, Ruth Roche, interviews Jeanne Braa about her story, her insights, and the future of the beauty industry.


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VANITY FAIR FEATURES PAUL MITCHELL SCHOOLS

Check out the December issue of Vanity Fair magazine to see the story about John Paul DeJoria, Winn Claybaugh, and the Paul Mitchell Schools (it’s on page 164).

Columnist Maria Ricapito wrote, “It’s not surprising that John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems, believes in outer beauty. His hair-product company, founded in 1980 with a partner and $700 is now a privately held, multi-million-dollar empire. In 2001, he teamed up with Winn Claybaugh and began opening beauty schools across the country. These schools, in addition to turning out stylists skilled in cutting, shaping, and coloring, also offer philanthropic opportunity. DeJoria and Claybaugh, who serve as role models to their students, are heavily invested in inner beauty as well, and they make sure that their schools give back to the community. DeJoria’s philosophy is ‘Success unshared is failure.’ The roughly 6,000 students at more than 70 Paul Mitchell schools across the country have raised nearly $1 million by hosting walkathons, haircut-athons, bake sales, and bike-athons. They cut the hair of homeless people. They’ve helped Leeza’s Place (a memory-disorder support organization), cancer research, the Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation (for mental health), firefighters’ widows and orphans, and AIDS-H.I.V. charities. ‘This is a generation that really cares about other people,’ says Claybaugh. DeJoria adds, ‘We’re the kids of the 60s. Back then you could carry a sign or you could rebel. Today, quite a few of us are in a position to change the world financially. We’re doing it with beauty.’”

FINDING MENTORS
From Connecting to My Future


Why do we sometimes ask for advice from those who have not experienced the success we desire? We ask for relationship advice from a friend who has been divorced several times. We ask for career advice from someone who can’t pay his or her own bills. Instead, why not seek out people who are already doing and accomplishing what you want to achieve and ask them what to do? We call those people mentors.

For the most part, mentors are people who’ve achieved a bit of success in their own lives, financial or otherwise. They’ve usually had to overcome obstacles or hardships, and because they overcame them, they have something to share and we want to listen. We’re inspired when we see someone who’s overcome the same hardships we struggle with; they give us hope. We don’t personally have to go through all of life’s lessons; that can sometimes be painful and time-consuming. Instead, we can choose to learn from other people’s successes and experiences.

Mentors are one of the most valuable learning resources you have. You can learn to work smarter, not harder, by finding a mentor who has life experiences and perspectives that you do not. Just as there might be people around you who do not want to see you succeed, there are many people around you who want you to succeed and are willing to help—you just have to find them.

Where can you find a mentor? Look for them at work, in professional organizations, and at social and educational events. Read and research industry magazines. Think about your image, business, client service, and learning and personal development goals, then ask yourself how a mentor could help you grow in each area and who that mentor might be. Talk about your goals with people you know—your family, friends, and co-workers. Chances are that you will find a mentor for your goals.

ASHLEY WATSON, CLASS OF 2007
Paul Mitchell The School – Cranston


Future Professional Ashley Watson has achieved several impressive goals during her educational journey. She’s on the Student Council, Design Team, and Product Knowledge Team, and she was accepted into Phase Two after just one week of Adaptive and just one week of Creative courses. Even more exciting, Ashley has consistently earned her school’s weekly and monthly retail and service awards, even while taking classes that kept her off the clinic floor.

“My first week on the floor, I won the awards for highest retail and highest service,” Ashley says. “Since then, I’ve been determined to get it every week. I take as many clients as possible and I sell, sell, sell. Even when I don’t have a client, I’ll go into the area where clients are sitting and offer to show them some products. As a Phase Two student, I wanted to take Honors Cutting and Color, and you have to attend classes to do that,” she adds. “I thought I’d never win because I wasn’t on the floor all day like the other kids. But my Learning Leader convinced me to try and I won both awards.” Ashley has actually earned the monthly award for having both the highest retail and highest service figures eight times in her school career.

Although they’d never met, Ashley credits Robert Cromeans Salon Artistic Director Stephanie Kocielski for inspiring her to achieve her goals. “I’d seen Stephanie on so many DVDs at school,” Ashley says. “I took everything I learned from her—her excitement and enthusiasm—and applied it on the clinic floor.” School Deans Michael and Nina Galvin rewarded Ashley’s enthusiasm with the opportunity to attend the “I Run With Scissors” tour and meet her legendary mentor. “I got to show Stephanie my look book,” Ashley recalls. “I couldn’t believe she took the time to sit down and talk to me like that. She’s just an awesome person!”

Ashley firmly believes that having mentors can help everyone reach their career goals. “Follow your dreams,” she says, “and always remember what Michael Galvin teaches: All you have to do is believe. If you believe, it can change everything.”

“Drive and determination are two words that best describe Ashley Watson. I’m proud that she has chosen to mirror the success trait of salon profitability. Most people just want the fun, but she wants it all. Her present performance is fantastic and she will surpass me in less than five years. I can’t wait for the call. Her future is filled with success and she will lead the pack. I’m proud to know she gets it!” — Stephanie Kocielski Artistic Director, A Robert Cromeans Salon

JOSHUA CORSO, CLASS OF 2003
Paul Mitchell The School – Costa Mesa


While pursuing an art degree at Ohio University, Joshua Corso realized he didn’t want his hobby to become his work. He’d always enjoyed doing hair and planned to open his own salon someday, so he changed majors and graduated with a bachelors degree in business management and design history, then enrolled at Paul Mitchell The School – Costa Mesa. However, he soon found himself at another crossroads.

Just before graduation, Josh was hired as a stylist for school owner Winn Claybaugh’s new salon, but the salon wasn’t open yet and Josh needed a job. “I told Winn he needed to hire me,” Josh explains. “There were no positions available, so I told him again and he offered me a job in the school, doing whatever needed to be done until the salon opened up. The week I started, his assistant went on vacation and I worked with Winn. When she came back, he told us we’d be working together from then on. A year later, she moved to another career path and I became Winn’s assistant.”

Josh’s flexibility has brought him many exciting opportunities, from editorial shoots and television shows to working with leading members of the Paul Mitchell family. “I’ve traveled and gotten experience I never would have imagined,” he says. “I’ve worked with celebrity makeup artist Sharon Gault and companies like Energy, 60, Ashley Paige, and the Malibu Film Festival.” Josh has also worked with top Paul Mitchell executives to develop the school branding program, coordinated a print marketing campaign, served as creative master for the school Web site and a school owners’ guide, and been a presenter at corporate schools and school owner summits.

Josh still plans to own a salon one day, but he’ll continue to be flexible and take advantage of opportunities that come his way. “There’s an abundance of information and resources at your fingertips,” he says, “but you have to be proactive and get it yourself. The more you put yourself out there, the more people will remember who you are, and that will open up insane amounts of opportunity. I’m a prime example of that. I told Winn he needed to give me a job, and now here I am!”