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 Dear Future Professionals,
Creating a vision for your future is so important. It’s the only place where you can create your world uninhibited, free from the pressure of others’ expectations or lack thereof. Having a vision is your sense of hope. Hope creates passion, and passion creates success.
There are two questions to ask yourself when creating your vision: What are you looking for and what’s your purpose? After you figure out those two things, write down your vision and keep it with you to remind you of why you’re doing what you’re doing. The mundane tasks of the day sometimes take your focus off your desired result, but if you remember your desired result, then the minor bumps in the road, the little pit stops, and even the breakdowns can quickly be taken away. To hold yourself accountable, tell as many people as possible about your vision. You’re only committed to what you confess.
My personal vision is to allow my family to experience things in life that they never would have been able to experience without me being in this industry and being around the people I’ve been around. My commitment and vision each and every day is to get to a point where my family gets to experience a lifestyle that they wouldn’t without me living my purpose.
I encourage you to dream big and don’t worry about how to get there. Set your sights high and you’ll always move toward them. Never let someone else create your world, for they will always create it too small.
Sincerely,
Kelly Cardenas
Platform Artist and Educator
Director of A Robert Cromeans Salons, Las Vegas
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 Dennis James is the executive director for all Paul Mitchell Schools. With thousands of Future Professionals and hundreds of Learning Leaders on a continuous educational path, Dennis has an extensive training and curriculum development agenda. His expertise in training, coaching, and planning has produced many of the cultural systems that are now part of the Paul Mitchell School programs and curriculums.
A licensed hairstylist for more than 18 years, Dennis has vast knowledge of every area of the industry. He has worked in top salons from Beverly Hills to Salt Lake City, was a national platform artist, and his photo work continues to be published in numerous trade magazines. His commitment to education has been a leading catalyst in launching many successful careers in hair and education throughout the years.
A Master Associate for John Paul Mitchell Systems and a member of their “train the trainers” Task Force team, Dennis now travels the country sharing his message to inspire and guide all those he works with.
 This month’s audio message featuring Dennis James is all about creating a vision for your salon or school culture.
If you enjoyed this month’s audio message, you’ll love our MASTERS Audio Club. CLICK HERE for more information.
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 In March 2005, Vanguard College of Cosmetology – A Paul Mitchell Partner School in Slidell, Louisiana, celebrated its grand opening and welcomed 60 Future Professionals. Two days before Thanksgiving, and less than 90 days after Hurricane Katrina caused more than half a million dollars of damage to the 13,000-square-foot facility, the school celebrated its grand reopening.
“Every enrollment through the end of the year was full,” explained school owner Mark Palermo. “Then the hurricane hit. A 15-foot wall of water, almost like a tsunami effect, took out the southwest corner and totally destroyed the first floor.”
Thanks largely to Palermo’s determination and persistence, the business was restored and running within 90 days. “The school is back in great shape, as if it never happened,” he says. “Unfortunately, we’re missing the smiling, happy, Future Professionals who were displaced and went away. We’ve had one start date since reopening; we had five students start. In my opinion, the rebuilding process is going to take time.”
For many young people in Louisiana, going to beauty school is not first and foremost in their hearts and minds; their top priority is finding new homes and rebuilding their lives. “Our focus is on providing the best education and experience to those who are there now, doing what we’ve always done, knowing that the population will rebuild and, along with it, so will our business,” Palermo said.
 “We want to thank the entire industry, the National Cosmetology Association and its leaders, and the leadership of our industry: David Wagner, Sam Brocato, Winn Claybaugh, and John Paul DeJoria. Cash contributions from the NCA have helped beauty industry professionals replace equipment, gather clothing, and provide food and shelter for their families. We want everyone in the industry to know that, regardless of how much you gave, it made a difference. I think a lot of people in the beauty industry in this area did not realize just how powerful this industry is until they saw the mail or a check come to them, saying, ‘Here, this is for you.’”
One recipient was Vanguard’s Sales and Admissions Leader, Darbie Lazaroe. “I was renting a home near Lake Pontchartrain, which caused a lot of the flooding in Slidell. I had 7 feet of water in my house for about 12 days, and I didn’t have renter’s insurance. What the water didn’t hit, the mold eventually took over. I lost everything I owned, except the few clothes I had taken with me. When I got the phone call saying that I was going to be a recipient of funds, I was overwhelmed. Those funds were an absolute godsend. I was unemployed for a month and a half, with the school being closed down. I definitely could not have made it through without the NCA pulling together. I wish I could meet and greet each person who wrote a check or donated time. I hope they understand the full concept of what they’ve done.”
To make a contribution to the NCA Disaster Relief Fund, visit www.probeautycares.org.
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 by Steve
and Terri Cowan
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Beauty industry business consultants Terri and Steve Cowan oversee Professional Salon Concepts, the first beauty industry distributor to earn a place among Inc. magazine's top 500 privately owned companies in America. They earned this honor not just once, but twice. They have been named Modern Salon's “Distributor of the Year” and have been given American Salon magazine’s Diamond Award for Excellence in Customer Service. The Cowans also act as consultants to the many salons they service and to high-profile clients, including A Robert Cromeans Salons. In addition, they strive to promote the PSC company philosophy through their team and their four luxury boutiques called The Space.
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 After studying numerous hairdressers, Terri and Steve recommend three steps for creating a vision of your professional future.
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Write an ideal profile of the salon you want to work in. What are their prices? Who are their customers? What kind of image do they have? What do the staff members wear to work? What’s their level of technical expertise? If you want to work in a progressive salon, interview with progressive salons and start thinking that way. |
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Commit to continuing your education. How much are you willing to invest in your career annually for advanced education? Decide on a percentage, such as 3% of your income, and commit to investing in yourself. Before you get into a salon, find out whether they offer advanced education, whether it’s with Paul Mitchell Schools or some other arena. Get known for being an education guru. |
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Create loyal customers. “People think it takes a lot more customers to be successful in this industry than it does,” the Cowans observe. “Anywhere between 200 and 250 customers is all you need if you work full time.” They recommend that you romance 250 people in your community that you’re loyal to and they’re loyal back. Create a repeat guest by providing a salon experience, inviting them to reschedule, and selling the complete menu. It’s harder for clients to leave you if you’re doing their cut, color, providing take-home, and introducing them to other services in the salon. |
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  After Hurricane Katrina hit, business consultants Steve and Terri Cowan loaded a truck with tons of supplies for the Vanguard College of Cosmetology. Unfortunately, because of the devastation in the area, they couldn’t get the supplies all the way to the school—until Chris Calandro and Chris Holmes came along.
“We went by in the car, saw a bunch of stuff sitting outside, and came back with the truck,” Chris Calandro explained. “Since our house was completely destroyed by flood waters, we were living in Chris’s mom and dad’s back yard in a 27-foot travel trailer. We put all the supplies in their garage, and they took up about half the garage, floor to ceiling.”
The two Future Professionals spent a full day sorting the donations for their fellow students. “We found a box of laundry bags and made 60 individual bags of supplies,” Calandro said. “We had to get here real early that morning, unpack the car, and bring everything in so nobody else saw it. Only one other person knew—we had to call him because he had a jeep; he helped us drag them into the little closet we had. Then we told everyone, ‘Come get it!’ It was like Christmas all around the entire clinic floor, and we were kind of like secret Santas.”
“A lot of the students weren’t able to get by there,” Chris Holmes explained. “It was just sitting outside. We had a truck, made two or three loads, and gave it to everybody. I didn’t really think it was that special, but they were pretty excited. We have a lot of friends here; I guess that’s what friends do.”
Calandro added, “We were brought up to be caregivers, with my family. If you can do something, you do it. That’s how they are; I guess I follow in their footsteps.”
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“Chris and Chris’s actions reflect the culture that we all strive for here at Vanguard.
They live Be Nice (Or Else!)”
—Kevin Latiolais, Dean, Vanguard College of Cosmetology – A Paul Mitchell Partner School
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 Freelance Hollywood Hairstylist
As a freelance Los Angeles hairstylist, Theodore Leaf does hair for TV shows, commercials, print work, models, and actors, as well as serving his private clientele in their homes. He has assisted industry icon Melissa Jacqua on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance and styled hair for actors Christian Slater and Thora Birch, among others. One of his clients (he couldn’t tell us the name) will be on American Idol this season.
We asked Theodore how he established himself so quickly in the fiercely competitive Los Angeles market. "I went to my first hair show in Chicago, went backstage, and helped Stephanie Kocielski and Stacey McNutt, the fashion stylist. Stacey suggested that I go to the IBS show, so I took it upon myself to fly to New York and showed up at the show at 5 A.M. I was so early, it was me and the security guards. I was actually opening the door for people as they arrived. At that show, I met Debra Dietrich who used to do makeup for Paul Mitchell; she gave me my one contact in California, who happened to be in the union. Ever since then, I've been traveling and meeting people through the shows, and they provided contacts in Los Angeles."
Theodore found some creative ways to achieve his vision of moving to LA—like trading services for some of the tools he needed to get started. “My business cards are flawless, the best. They’ve gotten me so much work. I got them designed for free because I did some consulting on our industry for an ad agency. When you’re from a Paul Mitchell school, you know the ins and outs of the industry. I got about $3,000 worth of advertising budget for having a conversation for an hour. I also do a trade with an alterations lady; I cut her hair for free and she does all my alterations. I'm even having a Web site developed for trade."
Theodore says he’s just reiterating everything he learned in Connecting to My Future. “I made a commitment the day I read the first chapter in that book. I was never top of the class, never supposed to be successful, and things weren’t going so hot for me. I read that first chapter and decided to follow the plan without fail. It’s turned me into a self-promoting marketing professional. Going to a Paul Mitchell school opened my whole world. Every time I cash a paycheck or buy a new pair of shoes, I thank myself for spending the money to get a really great education. It's paid for itself over and over again. If I never did hair again, I would be a better person for going to that school because it changed my life."
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 A Monthly Audio Series from Terri and Steve Cowan
Increase your service and retail volume as well as the overall profitability of your salon!
1 Year (6 CD) Owners Subscription – $99.00
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Single CD –- $20.00
www.pscspace.com
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