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 Dear Future Professionals,
Having fun really is great for business—and there are lots of ways to make your business fun!
In our salon, we hold our staff meetings at fancy country clubs, casual breakfast restaurants, parks, museums, and many other unconventional environments, just to break away from the everyday, “Oh no, not another staff meeting” routine. We even had a bowling tournament during one of our meetings! And yes, the salon owner always picks up the tab. We meet every other week for two hours, and we always start off by celebrating our team’s personal and business victories. We review what’s working and what’s not working, and we never let the meetings turn into bitch sessions. Any staff adjustments are held privately, not publicly. That sets the tone for fun, which keeps our team in the creative sides of their minds.
Here are a few more ideas for having fun in your school or salon.
1. Holiday gift exchange with a twist: Do you draw names for a holiday gift exchange? Take it a step further and sponsor that person’s birthday in the next year, too.
2. Annual runway show and client appreciation gala: In our salon, this event is complimentary to our clients, but we pass the hat and sponsor a local charity. We go all out, with giant tents, designer clothes, and wine and appetizers. Our clients really enjoy seeing fashion that they wouldn’t normally see in our small community.
3. Volunteer as a staff: Choose an organization or school that’s in need, and donate your time. It’s fun to do and it boosts morale to give unconditionally as a team.
– Jimy Angel
John Paul Mitchell Systems Master Associate
Owner, Salon Vivid
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 Stephanie Kocielski is a Master Associate with John Paul Mitchell Systems, Artistic Director of A Robert Cromeans Salon (ARCS), and a full-time working hairdresser. A popular motivational speaker onstage and at seminars, she is one of our industry’s most beloved mentors and most published females. Her work has appeared on the covers of many leading national and international beauty and fashion magazines, as well as in numerous Paul Mitchell educational videos and award-winning ad campaigns.
 Alongside Robert Cromeans, Stephanie takes their ARCS Teams on the road for John Paul Mitchell Systems. They have worked with such notable celebrities as Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Stevie Nicks, actor Ben Affleck, and San Diego newscaster Kimberly Hunt, among others. In addition, they have created looks for the Billboard Music Awards, MTV Music Awards, and the MTV Real World Reunion.
 Fun, heart, laughter, and wisdom—this month’s MASTERS interview with Stephanie Kocielski has it all. Her no-nonsense, kick-in-the-behind words will inspire you to reinvent yourself, your team, and your clients!
If you enjoyed this month’s audio message, you’ll love our MASTERS Audio Club. CLICK HERE for more information.
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 From Be Nice (Or Else!)
by Winn Claybaugh
Dean and Cofounder, Paul Mitchell The School
The intentional use of fun can be a powerful force in team building, improving customer service, improving team attitude and loyalty, and ultimately increasing profitability.
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Businesses where staff members have fun, like each other, and treat customers as if they’re happy to be there have a competitive advantage—they leave their clients feeling good about spending money there. Studies show that when staff members laugh together, creativity and production go up and absenteeism goes down. A staff that laughs together stays together.
 Don’t assume that you and your team will occasionally laugh together, and don’t wait for it to happen. All companies must create experiences and events where people can have fun and laugh with each other, and the following ideas can help you do this.
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Play loud, fun, party music in your store or office as the staff arrives each morning. Upbeat party music may not be suitable for your ambiance during business hours, but how about throwing a party every morning as the staff begins to arrive? You can get them off to a fun, happy start by playing the theme from Rocky, or “YMCA.” Get the boss dancing to that one, and let the party begin! |
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Have theme days where the entire staff dresses alike or shares some common goal or focus for having a fun, enthusiastic day. Theme days could include Prom Friday, Beach Day, Country-Western Day, ’60s Day, Hippie Day, Pajama Day, or Rock Star Day. To really make your theme day fun and effective, include your clients and customers. |
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Create traditions as a team. Just to give you some examples, in my company we’ve traveled together to Hawaii, Europe, Mexico, and to see Broadway shows in New York City. We’ve had overnight parties in a mountain cabin, played together at water parks, and hosted a ’70s disco roller-skating party. |
How do you know what will work best for your team? You ask them, which makes everyone feel important, included, and supported as people.
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 Opera singer Christina Bonsall Hunt earned a bachelor of music degree in voice at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a performer’s diploma in voice from Indiana University. She also received scholarships to both schools, and amassed an impressive resume as a performer during her college career. In addition to appearing in numerous roles, she was chosen in 2003 to world premier the role of Sacagawea in The Corps of Discovery, a musical account of the Lewis and Clark story. She has performed at the University of Missouri, the York Theatre in New York, Carnegie Hall, the Millennia Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, and with the Indiana University Opera Theatre. However, three weeks after graduation, Christina got married and moved to Florida, where she began a new career.
Christina realized that the constant travel required of a full-time musician was incompatible with the life she wanted. “To supplement their income, most singers teach voice, and that didn’t really appeal to me,” she says. “Paul Mitchell The School – Orlando was just down the street from my house, and I drove past it every day. As a singer, I always enjoyed being backstage doing hair and makeup. In the spur of the moment, I decided to go to beauty school. I thought I might enjoy it and it would lead to a secure income and job.”
One of the things that appealed to Christina about this industry is its flexibility. “You can work when you want and as much as you want,” she explains. “As a singer, sometimes I’ll need to work a lot and other times I’ll need to be gone.”
If her experience at Paul Mitchell The School is any indication, juggling two demanding careers will be no problem for Christina. She serves as Student Council president, a member of the Design Team, and the manager of Phase II. “The more you get involved, the more fun you have,” she says. “With Design Team, we did the fashion shows and worked with guest artists who came in, but we also talked to pregnant teenagers about coming to school and bettering their lot in life. We’ve gone to churches and given manicures to mothers of autistic children. Doing community service has opened up that aspect of the career to me—seeing how you can really make someone’s day or life, just by giving them a little bit of personal attention.”
Besides getting involved at school, Christina advises her fellow Future Professionals to keep practicing and not get discouraged. “It seems like everyone is really terrified when they start,” she says. “I know I was. You have all these chemicals, you’re cutting people’s hair off, and it’s really scary. Don’t be scared. Let time pass, get the practice you need, and let it all sink in. It’ll all fall into place.”
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“Christina has a charisma about her that makes her a natural leader. If I ask her to do something, I know it will be done with grace and professionalism and people will want to help her along that journey. Being around her is like being around Winn Claybaugh or John Paul DeJoria–you know they possess great power and skill, but there's a grace about them.”
—Giulio Veglio, Dean of Paul Mitchell The School – Orlando
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 On June 29, 2005, a new Robert Cromeans Salon opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, fulfilling the wish of the late hairstylist Kenneth Brown. A dedicated Paul Mitchell and Cromeans devotee, Kenneth had encouraged his two sons, Kash and Kord, to follow in his footsteps. He supported them as they attended beauty school and went to San Diego to become part of Robert's team, and he requested that after he passed away, his salon become A Robert Cromeans Salon.
 Kenneth’s son, Kash, returned to Tulsa to take on the positions of salon director and stylist at his father’s former salon, while Kord remains in San Diego as a stylist at A Robert Cromeans Salon.
We asked Kash how he and his brother became involved with Robert Cromeans so soon after graduating from school. “In 1999, we’d only been in school for a few months when we went to Signature Gathering with our parents. Our dad introduced us to Robert as he was running down the hall to class, and he invited us in. As soon as the class was over, we looked at each other and said, ‘That’s where we’re going.’”
The brothers worked hard to build a reputation with Robert and Stephanie Kocielski. “We’d show up at shows and help out wherever possible,” Kash said. “A month before we graduated, we went out for an interview. On graduation day, we left for San Diego to start working as assistants.”
Kash also credits school owner Winn Claybaugh for helping them build a relationship with Cromeans. “Winn told us where Robert’s shows would be. If we needed to come in late to school because we were driving back, he’d let us do that. He gave us the information we needed to build a relationship. He offers that to everybody, but I don’t think everyone takes the opportunity and runs with it. As soon as we found out where we wanted to go, he helped us get there.”
Kash offers three pieces of advice to Future Professionals:
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You never know if you can have what you want until you try to get it. Try anything. |
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Don’t have any down time in school. Do hair, try new things. The more you practice in school, the better you’ll be when you get out. |
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Being professional in school—looking the part, dressing the part, and acting the part—will set you up to be a better professional when you graduate. |
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Discover a world of cyber-support on the Paul Mitchell Professional Web site at www.paulmitchell.com!
Register as easy as 1-2-3
1. Log onto www.paulmitchell.com and click on the SALON PROFESSIONALS ENTER HERE link.
2. Choose REGISTER NOW and fill out the required information. When you receive your welcome e-mail, click on the link to activate your account.
3. Log on to the Web site 24/7 with your new username and password and enjoy all the great benefits.
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Paul Mitchell The School Newsletter
Copyright © 2006 by Paul Mitchell The School. All rights reserved.
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Last Halloween, vandals busted out five big picture windows at Paul Mitchell The School – Costa Mesa. You can imagine the horrible feeling that spread throughout the school. Because the windows had to be special-ordered, students and staff were forced to live with boarded-up windows for a week. Making matters even worse, the week included a graduation ceremony.