BEACON 2007

Every year, beauty students from all over the country compete for the chance to attend Beacon. Sponsored by The Salon Association, Beacon gives outstanding cosmetology students the chance to learn about the business side of the industry while sitting side by side with salon owners and managers at TSA’s annual Symposium. Beacon also provides special breakout sessions tailored just for future salon professionals, to help expand their knowledge and understanding of the beauty industry. This year, nearly 700 students entered Beacon and only 109 were chosen—and once again Paul Mitchell Schools were extremely well represented. Beacon winners traveled to San Antonio, Texas, for the January 2007 event, which was co-hosted by Paul Mitchell School Dean Winn Claybaugh and industry coach Geno Stampora. Paul Mitchell Artistic Director Stephanie Kocielski, a presenter at the event, said, “Never have I had the pleasure to give and get so much in such a short period of time. The future of our world will be a better place with these fine people leading its way.” “Beacon is an experience of a lifetime,” added TSA Vice President NeCole Cumberlander. “It truly is the mecca of networking, and we all know that half of landing that dream job is making contacts and developing relationships.”

“Landing your dream job is about connecting with the right people and companies, and that’s the beauty of TSA’s Beacon program. It is THE place to connect with the top salons and spas in the professional beauty industry.” — Sasha Rash President, TSA Salon/Spa Leadership Council

SIGNATURE GATHERING

Over 600 Paul Mitchell Future Professionals joined the nationwide gathering of stylists and salon owners at John Paul Mitchell Systems’ Signature Gathering in February 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Future Professionals earned their way to the event by selling more than $560,000 worth of Paul Mitchell products.

The two-day extravaganza featured interactive classes with many John Paul Mitchell Systems platform artists, including Angus Mitchell, Scott Cole, Linda Yodice, Stephanie Kocielski, Melissa Jaqua, and a “Seriously” business seminar presented by Robert Cromeans. Paul Mitchell Advanced Academy educators George Morales, Mike Helm, and Audra Turner facilitated a fun, high-energy class for the 600 Future Professionals on cutting, color, and long hair.

As in past years, Future Professionals from Paul Mitchell The Schools in San Diego, Costa Mesa, Salt Lake City, and Provo opened the general session with a brilliant fashion presentation, showcasing their skills in cutting, color, makeup, wardrobe, and staging. With all models being Future Professionals, they once again brought the audience of 1,500 to their feet.

Learning leaders, staff members, and Future Professionals from two Paul Mitchell Partner Schools helped with costumes for Robert Cromeans and Stephanie Kocielski’s grand finale. Ulupono Academy’s financial aid leader Carly Rossiter, who is well versed in Hawaiian culture, designed the costumes and brought them from Hawaii. Christian Riser and a team of Future Professionals from The Temple helped complete the outfits and assisted backstage.

5 STEPS TO YOUR DREAM JOB
From Connecting to My Future


Landing that dream job is easier than you think, if you follow these five simple steps:

1. Network, network, network. Get employment leads at shows, education events, and industry gatherings. Pass out your business card and collect as many business cards as possible from everyone you meet. Review the employment opportunity board or files at your school. Visit salons and spas and conduct informational interviews to learn everything you can about them, then follow up with the ones that match your career goals.
   
   
2. Master the interview process. The interview process is when potential employers assess your skill level, confidence, and knowledge. They determine whether you’ll fit into their existing team, and evaluate how you will serve and support their guests. Be focused, relaxed, and overly prepared. This is your chance to find out if the salon or spa team is right for you, so ask a lot of questions. Ask the salon or spa owner if you can come hang out for a day or attend their next staff meeting or training. You will want to observe how the staff there interact and treat each other so you can determine if you will fit in and be happy there.
   
   
3. Send personal, handwritten thank-you cards within 24 hours. Employers love nice people. If you connect with them during the interview, they will want to help you. Never burn any bridges, no matter what your interview experience was like. Always send a thank-you note, even if you do not plan to work there.
   
   
4. Be persistent. Your target company may not have an opening right now, but hundreds of other companies need new talent. You may not get your dream job in the time frame you wanted, but if you persist, you’ll eventually land that dream job. Just because you do not hear back from the salon or spa does not mean they’re not interested in hiring you; it could just mean they’re really busy. Continue to call and drop by so they see your happy, smiling face. Continue to express your sincere desire to work with them.
   
   
5. Reinvent yourself. As you create your career path, you may discover that your dream employer is your present one. Work with your salon or spa owner or manager to reinvent your position by getting involved in education, shows, salon events, or mentoring. Continually reinvent what you do and how you do it. You’ll be surprised at how fascinating your career can be. Discover what you “love to do” and do it, whether they pay you to do the task or not.
   
   
   

OHIO FUTURE PROFESSIONALS TAKE THE STAGE


Future Professionals from three Paul Mitchell Partner Schools had the networking opportunity of a lifetime last October. After submitting essays on “What Makes Your Heart Sing about Color,” seven winners were chosen to assist Paul Mitchell Regional Color Coordinator and Master Associate Judith Moore at the Southeastern Salon Suppliers Mid-America Beauty Classic Show in Columbus, Ohio.

Joining Judith for her “Future of Color” presentation were Zachary Stuntebeck, Annie Ambrosius, and Amanda Hertz of the Cincinnati Academy; Andrea Bragg and Kathleen McMeehan of the Ohio Academy (Twinsburg); and Megan Rauch and Renee Trimback of the Ohio Academy (Columbus).

“These Future Professionals did everything,” Judith says. “They spent months getting models, attending model call, doing all the work on model prep day, and doing one-hour shows on Sunday and Monday.”

In the type of networking opportunity that Paul Mitchell Schools are famous for, the Future Professionals got to work backstage with Angus Mitchell and wardrobe designer Stacy McNutt.

“I was their coach, but they did all the work,” Judith says. “They modeled, did music, and even did our wonderful makeup. They had to speak on stage about their pre-done work and they had to do a color technique on stage. Stars were born!”

Judith adds, “Every time I reminded the audience that ‘beauty school’ students had done the work, you could see them shaking their heads in disbelief. Their teamwork, their passion for this industry, and their desire to learn blew me away. At the end of the show, they thanked me over and over, but it’s me who owes them the gratitude. I’m grateful that the future of our industry is in great hands.”

Two years ago, Evangeline Fabia was a senior at San Francisco State University, majoring in radio and television and working for two TV shows on the Filipino Channel. Her hard work and determination led to quick promotions and a hectic schedule of work and school. Then one show was cancelled and Evangeline’s dream came crashing down. “I hadn’t even finished my degree yet and I was having a hard time going back into TV,” she says. “My grandmother was a hairdresser, and my mom always wanted to be one. I always wanted to do TV production but at the same time wanted to do the cosmetology thing. When my mother suggested beauty school, I knew it had to be the top of the line.”

Evangeline enrolled at the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology (SFIEC), a Paul Mitchell Partner School. A two-time Beacon winner, she graduated from the school’s first night class while finishing college and earning a bachelor’s degree in television production. Two weeks later, she moved to Los Angeles and landed a job as production assistant on the Style Network’s makeover show, Style Her Famous, hosted by Jay Manuel of America’s Top Model. When the current season wraps up, she’ll become the production coordinator for Dr. 90210, an extreme surgery makeover show. “This is definitely a steppingstone to my dream job,” Evangeline predicts. “Eventually I would love to produce my own makeover magazine program about the beauty industry.”

Evangeline offers three pieces of advice for landing your dream job:

1. Be nice! Build relationships and stay in contact. You never know who can help you get a job.
   
   
2. Whatever you’re doing, be the best you can be. Your work won’t go unnoticed.
   
   
3. No job is too small. Chores like taking out the trash are just as important as being a stylist. After all, how can you do your job in an atmosphere that smells like trash?