The Ulupono Academy – A Paul Mitchell Partner School in Honolulu, Hawaii, recently participated in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Many Future Professionals and staff members withstood four hours of rain and power outages to raise awareness and $800 in their annual cut-a-thon at the July event, while other members of the Ulupono team relayed around the track all night.

“We marched proudly in the parade of supporters dressed in black and purple and holding our Paul Mitchell banner,” said Admissions/Branding Leader Kevin Kalaukoa. “It is events like these that continue to inspire us to do more. Events like these take the life out of us and are filled with hard work; however, they make us who we are today.”

Create Magic!
From Be Nice (Or Else!) by Winn Claybaugh


Creating Magic is all about giving people that dose of fun, love, and positive energy they need to perform their jobs every day and to help them feel good about the commitment they’ve made to your organization. The “old school” method of working with people was about manipulating and policing each other, and you know that doesn’t work. The new school of working with each other teaches you how to Create Magic.

Jesse Briggs, owner and founder of Yellow Strawberry Salons, tells a story about how he creates magic in his organization. Whenever he hires a new receptionist, he has her order a limousine, make reservations at a top restaurant, and join him there for dinner. After eating a delicious meal served perfectly in a beautiful setting, Jesse asks, “How do you feel right now?” The usual response is, “Oh, Jesse, this was so wonderful!” He then says, “That’s how I want our customers to feel after they’ve had an experience in our business.” Rather than dictating what customer service should look like, Jesse empowers that new receptionist by giving her the opportunity to experience it for herself.

There are many ways to create magic in your organization. Here are five simple steps to follow every day.

1. Always be in a great mood. Before you walk in the door, take a deep breath, smile, and think, “It’s show time!”
   
   
2. Be interested in others and make them feel important. Make it a priority to connect with people and positively influence them before you focus on your tasks for the day.
   
   
3. Be in the present moment and “play.” Schedule time to “be” with others, not just “do” with others. Be present and play in meetings, classrooms, and on the clinic floor.
   
   
4. Make the ordinary extraordinary. Find ways to motivate, help, and guide your team with your own special magic. Do special little things that inspire them.
   
   
5. Communicate and celebrate victories. Share your story and be a cheerleader. Celebrate big and small victories every day. Find any reason to celebrate and FACE your team.
   

Benny Spandy, Class of 2007
Paul Mitchell The School – Sherman Oaks


When 45-year-old Benny Spandy started cosmetology school, he was nice to teachers and students alike. “I brought in food, helped everyone, and brought so much positive energy to the classroom that all the students loved me for making the school a happy place,” he recalls. Unfortunately, the school director did not share his classmates’ enthusiasm. She called Benny into the office and told him to stop being so nice to everyone. “I was not allowed to talk to my guests while working on them anymore, and I was told to stop seeing them off at the door,” he says.

It bothered Benny to be “reigned in” from making his customers happy. “I started to think this might not be the profession for me,” Benny says. Discouraged, he considered leaving the profession but decided to change schools instead. “When I walked through the doors of Paul Mitchell The School, I felt positive energy, hospitality, friendliness, respect, love, and even good feng shui. After a tour of the school, I decided this was the place I was meant to be. It felt like it was made for me.”

Benny started the Core program in April 2007 and said, “I could hardly believe my ears when we were told from the start that everything in the school is based on being nice, sharing, giving presents to each other, and giving and receiving hugs between the teachers and students. I could be myself again.” In week six of the program, the class did an exercise where they had to cross the classroom stepping on books only. Benny kept going back to support other students. After the game, all the students shared their experiences about the game. “When everyone was done,” Benny says, “the Learning Leader FACE’d me and said, ‘I don’t know who you are and from which planet you came, but if you have any more brothers and sisters on that planet, please go get them and bring them here.’ I had tears in my eyes as all the students FACE’d me at once; this was the most beautiful thing someone had told me in my life. Finally, after 45 years, I find myself in my true home.”

Benny was chosen Student of the Month for June 2007, just for being so nice. “I have experienced so many happy moments since I started at Paul Mitchell The School,” he says. “I am truly excited to discover that there are still places on this planet where it is safe to just be nice all the time!”

“Benny is the type of person who thinks about others as much or more than he thinks about himself. A visionary and a team player, he’s always looking for ways to make people happy. I know he’ll be extremely successful because of his giving, his sharing, and his big heart of love.” — Stella Davis Director of Paul Mitchell The School – Sherman Oaks

Paul Mitchell The School – Costa Mesa

Noogie’s advice for Future Professionals: “It's important to keep yourself open, be prepared to pay your dues, and never burn any bridges. This industry is smaller than you think, and you never know who can open doors for you down the road.”

To learn more about Noogie and experience his work, visit www.NoogieStyle.com.