Paul Mitchell Schools Advanced Education Team

At Paul Mitchell Schools, a large number of talented and experienced team members contribute to creating our curriculum and training instructors throughout our nationwide franchise network.

The Advanced Education Team supports the schools’ success by providing ongoing training on the Paul Mitchell Schools’ education systems and culture. These technical skill leaders collaborate in the development of ongoing curriculum and system updates. They play an important role in training and educating instructors (we call them Learning Leaders) throughout our franchise school network, helping them maintain their active licenses and stay current on industry trends and our robust curriculum, which is updated annually. 

At the national level: 

• Advanced Education Team members lead national technical training events for all Paul Mitchell franchise schools. 
• They conduct annual training and certifications for Learning Leaders throughout the school network, in all levels of their specialties. All schools are required to attend these events.

Paul Mitchell Advanced Education provides required annual on-site trainings (barbering, color, cutting, style and texture, makeup and skin) at each franchise school location. All Learning Leaders at that school location are expected to attend; these trainings also help them earn their state-required continuing education hours, to maintain their licenses. 

When facilitating instruction, team members utilize our proprietary Paul Mitchell Advanced Education lesson plans in barbering, color, cutting, makeup, style and texture, makeup and skin in conjunction with our Paul Mitchell Advanced Education apps:

• The Cutting System app
• The Barbering and Short Hair System app 
• The Color System app
• The Makeup System app
• The Skill Cards app
• The Style and Texture System app

Our Advanced Education Team consists of eight teams: Core, Cutting, Barbering, Style and Texture, Color, Makeup, Skin, and Community Success. Below is a brief introduction to each team’s curriculum responsibilities and associated team members.

The Core Team trains all Paul Mitchell Schools’ Learning Leaders in the fundamentals of our barbering, color, cutting, makeup, skin, and style and texture systems, as well as our unique culture. This team provides Learning Leaders with ongoing training so they have the skill sets needed to welcome new Future Professionals and to facilitate their instruction for the first 6–8 weeks of their education journey (the “Core” phase). During Core, Learning Leaders motivate and mentor students while introducing and breaking down fundamental skill sets that they will master later, in the Adaptive and Creative phases. 

Core Team Members

• Megan Gutierrez – Paul Mitchell The School Chicago
• Ashley Menzies – Paul Mitchell The School Tulsa
• Evie Larsen – Paul Mitchell The School Richland

The Cutting Team trains Paul Mitchell Schools’ barbering and cosmetology Learning Leaders in the core principles of foundational haircuts that form the blueprint for all other haircuts. Those include one-lengths, graduations, and layer techniques integrated within round, triangular, and square geometric shapes. Mastering these foundational techniques and geometric shapes allows Learning Leaders to create and teach combination haircuts in short, medium, and longer lengths supported by understanding all formations and texture to complement the end results.

Cutting Team Members

• Sarah Kobeski – Paul Mitchell The School Coeur d’Alene 
• Skyler Marsh – Paul Mitchell The School Wichita
• Clinton Norris
• Megan Rauch – Paul Mitchell The School Columbus
• Doug Christensen – Paul Mitchell The School Reno

The Barbering Team trains Paul Mitchell Schools’ barbering Learning Leaders to master the full grooming experience, which includes shaves, beard design, short haircutting, color, styling systems, fades, tapers, and layered shapes on all hair textures (fine, medium, coarse) and formations (straight, wavy, curly, coily). The team’s goal is to ensure that each Learning Leader is well trained in the barbering curriculum in order to educate Future Professionals so when they graduate, those Future Professionals can provide barbering services to a diverse clientele with varying needs.

Barbering Team Members

• Fernie Andong – Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa
• Angie Peters – Paul Mitchell The School Atlanta
• Freddy (Alfredo) Razo – Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa

The Style and Texture Team is our largest team: they train the Paul Mitchell School franchise network’s cosmetology and barbering Learning Leaders in wet and dry styling techniques (blow drying, marcel iron work, smoothing, finishing, finger waves, pin curls, roller sets), chemical applications (permanent waves and relaxers), natural hair and protective styles (locs, extensions, braiding, finger coil, two strand twists, palm rolling, feed-in braids), and long hair techniques (upstyles). 

Our Style and Texture system is our largest curriculum. It was designed to ensure that all students are well-rounded in their knowledge, tools, training, and hands-on experience so they can confidently serve guests with all hair formations (straight, wavy, curly, coily) and textures (fine, medium, coarse). This diverse and inclusive curriculum continues to evolve and grow as we listen and learn.

Style and Texture Team Members

• Melanie Bartchak –  Paul Mitchell The School Cleveland
• Nike Blount
• Holli Cadman – Paul Mitchell The School Spokane
• Ashley DuBrock – Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa
• Jenni Farley – Paul Mitchell The School Springfield
• Emma Long – Paul Mitchell The School Rexburg
• Bryant Murphy – Rudy and Kelly Academy A Paul Mitchell Partner School

The Color Team trains Paul Mitchell Schools’ barbering and cosmetology Learning Leaders to understand color formulation, color consultations, and placement and effect to support the guest’s selected haircut. The Color Team teaches Learning Leaders how to determine: 

• Whether to place color vertically, diagonally, or horizontally 
• The effects created by a weave or a slice 
• Which color placement works best to compliment a haircut
• How formation and texture affect color placement

Color Team Members

• Jose Avila – Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa
• Sarah Deal – Paul Mitchell The School Logan
• Tyson Noriega – Paul Mitchell The School Salt Lake City
• Nikki Ramos
• Kaitlyn Stepp – Paul Mitchell The School Greenville
• Phil Wood – Paul Mitchell Advanced Education

The Makeup Team trains Paul Mitchell Schools’ cosmetology and esthetics Learning Leaders in foundational techniques for a variety of makeup applications. Our team goes beyond the everyday beauty techniques by exploring advanced applications from our Paul Mitchell Schools’ makeup curriculum, including bridal, editorial, airbrushing, prosthetics, runway, and high-fashion applications. Learning Leaders are trained using The Makeup System app, which features a face chart diagramming system, video gallery of diverse makeup applications, and The Makeup Portfolio hardcopy workbook, which includes theory information sheets, handouts, and blank face charts for creativity.

Makeup Team Members

• Debra Dietrich
• Evie Larsen – Paul Mitchell The School Richland
• Megan Gutierrez – Paul Mitchell The School Chicago
• Danielle Woods

The Skin Team trains Paul Mitchell Schools’ cosmetology and esthetics Learning Leaders to perform treatments that promote skin health and beauty, including procedures like waxing and peels. Learning Leaders are also trained in educating clients on cleansing, diet, and the application of skin-care products at home. Learning Leaders are trained in our esthetician programs, which follow our Paul Mitchell Schools curriculum along with the support of Milady CIMA or Pivot Point LAB.

Skin Team Members

• Jessica Bauer – Paul Mitchell The School Salt Lake City
• Sarah Deal – Paul Mitchell The School Logan
• Tom Mutter – Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa
• Lisa Waters – Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa

The Community Success Team trains all Paul Mitchell Schools’ Learning Leaders in the vital principles of our Paul Mitchell School community and culture: the shared attitudes, values, goals, and systems that embody our schools. During the onboarding process, all Paul Mitchell School Learning Leaders are introduced to the value we place on community and culture so they can bring this vision into the classrooms. 

• Our community includes the people we connect with and those we serve– Future Professionals, Learning Leaders, team members, and service guests. Community Success training reinforces our shared vision of happy Future Professionals. 
• A culture occurs whenever two or more people come together. If we don’t provide the experience or adhere to the guidelines for creating a positive culture, then the culture will be decided for us. We believe that the culture of our schools will always determine our success, regardless of how effective our vision, strategy, and systems may be.

Our unique culture systems direct our communication, coaching, learning, and behavior. This is the essence of what creates our community and what sets us apart. 

Community Success Team Members

• Sarah Deal – Paul Mitchell The School Logan
• Sarah Kobeski – Paul Mitchell The School Coeur d’Alene
• Ashley Menzies – Paul Mitchell The School Tulsa
• Megan Rauch – Paul Mitchell The School Columbus
• Evie Larsen – Paul Mitchell The School Richland
• Megan Gutierrez – Paul Mitchell The School Chicago
• Melinda Lee – Paul Mitchell The School Michigan