Published by
admin on
February 27, 2009
On Wednesday of this week we had our salon coach (Gavin) in the salon. Gavin is with the KRS consulting group. We started at 9 AM looking over the last several months of reports, several of the teams productivity numbers, and then talked to the entire team for about an hour. Then for the rest of the day we worked on a strategy to help us all do better.
What does that mean you might ask? We want you to have an EXPERIENCE when you visit our salon. The cut, color, massage, or facial is suppose to be great. We want everything else to be great also.
Your Guest Bill of Rights
to know about the “Club @ Cary O’Brien’s”
to know about your “Beauty In A Bottle”
to have your next “Reservation @ The Station”
to know about our “Guest to Guest Program”
to be shown your “Beauty In A Bottle” at the check out counter
to have “An Experience” not just a service
to have an “Awesome Scalp Massage and Shampoo”
to have a “Great Conversation Zone”
Why do we do this? I think the salon business is very simple, “Make People Feel Better When They Leave Than When They Came in.” It’s so simple that’s our mission statement. It’s simple but not easy. So the reason I bring Gavin in to give us a report card is to keep us on track. It takes awhile to become comfortable having someone tell you that you are not doing this, and that, very well and you need to try harder.
If it does not kill you it will make you stronger. I think we have all heard this one. Well I believe it. I don’t like to hear that I can do better but I know if I do nothing I will get nothing. I think about that when I coach my team, I am sure they do not like to hear what they can do better. But if they do not hear it how do they become better? Whether I am working with a new person to our team or a seasoned veteran I have the same approach.
What do you think you could have done to make it better?
It is usually the service with our new team members as this is our focus. With the senior team it is the soft services. Or the feel of the visit.
So the next time you visit our salon as to see the “Guest Bill Of Rights” it is our guarantee to you that we try harder, and know YES, WE CAN DO BETTER.
Published by
admin on
February 20, 2009
Okay, I know it’s a Nike slogan but it works. It is words for all of us to live by.
Seven of my running buddies and I along with our spouses just went to Austin TX. to run the Austin City Marathon. Although I did the training I started the training with very little base. I finished in 3hours and 46 minutes. Not a bad time but not what I had hoped for. Too many hills on the course. Now what? We start all over again. Pick a new city, lay out the training schedule and just start running. It is that simple, I said simple not easy. It’s like running (pun) our salon, simple not easy. But every day we get a chance to start new, do better, and make it better for our guests, and our first guests our team of salon professionals.
So this blog is a challenge, what do you want to accomplish? Just do it! I encourage everyone I meet to set the bar as high as they can see, if you fall a bit short your still better off that you were before the start. Set your goal and JUST DO IT!
Published by
admin on
February 11, 2009
As I have mentioned before one of the many hats I were is serving on the Leadership Council for the Professional Beauty Association. I represent the Salon Section. The article below is on George Schaeffer, president of OPI. He is also on the LC for the Manufacturer Section. George is great to have on the board not just for his wisdom and knowledge, but also his straight talk. You never have to wonder “what is George thinking” he will tell you. Thanks George for you insights.
SALON CITY MAGAZINE
Beauty News Bulletin |
MAKING NEWS NOW
February 11 2009 |
|
|
|
In Beverly Hills
A “OPI” Salon City Exclusive
George Schaeffer
Salon City’s Steven Casciola Interviews
George Schaeffer
President & CEO
OPI Products, Inc.
“George Schaeffer can hold court with the best in the world. Audacious, candid and willing to buck the status quo if necessary, this ‘cherub of style’ makes his own rules and creates his own success. He’s also one of the most loved people in the world of beauty. He should really star in his own TV sitcom. It’s ‘Schaeffer’ here at Salon City.”
Salon City Network News - A Star is Born:
In Los Angeles, Schaeffer started on the path to what would make him a legend in the Beauty Industry. The path started in the most unlikely of places - a dental supply business that Schaeffer purchased called Odontorium Products Inc. Schaeffer soon realized that the acrylic “porcelains” used to make dentures were similar to and, in fact, even better than the materials used by Nail Professionals for crafting acrylic nails. Seizing upon the opportunity, Schaeffer applied his knowledge of Dental Technology to the Nail Industry to formulate superior products for Nail Technicians.
George Schaeffer has built OPI Products Inc., the world’s leading Professional
Nail Care company, through an acute business sense and an extraordinary
commitment to the Professional Beauty Industry and its needs. But he has actually built even more.Casciola, who is known for his high-profile interviews of top business people, artists, celebrities and visionaries, asked Schaeffer and OPI EVP, Bill Halfacre, to share a taste of OPI’s secret to service and creating an atmosphere of fun:
George (and OPI) Walk Their Talk
STEVEN CASCIOLA: Bill, as OPI’s Executive Vice President, you’re clearly aware of the economy and how it’s impacting the overall beauty industry. What’s your take on George’s leadership approach to beauty and the economy?
BH: Steve, I’ll tell you something that George doesn’t always mention. He started OPI in 1981 during a recessive period - and the difference between us and a lot of our competitors and brands is that we consider the consumer first, the technician second, distribution third and everything else after. George believes the consumer will support us - if we take care of them.
SC: What’s it like having George as a boss? What’s the atmosphere like?
BH: I’ve worked for a number of large corporations and OPI is truly unique because of George, Miriam Schaeffer, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Eric Schwartz and the entire OPI team he’s assembled. At the ISSE show last week, George and I walked up and down the floor and we noticed people running their booths. For some of these guys it was their first show. For some, a second and third show, etc. And why haven’t some made it, or won’t make it? I think the difference is passion. It wasn’t greed. It was passion. That’s what is missing sometimes. Creativity is fueled by passion and a commitment to do something correctly.
Here at OPI, George lives his life with passion. He often says, “We don’t sell. We service our distributors, and hopefully they service their salons, and salons service their consumers. And if we do that - you’re not selling - you’re servicing. From there, each shipment leads to the next order.”
One of the things we’ve never had as a business —
we’ve never used the word “quota.”
GS: One of the things we’ve never had as a business - we’ve never used the word “quota.” Instead, as long as I have had my own business, I always ask my people, “How are the sales out of the distributor?”
I don’t care if you don’t get an order this week, or this month, or for six months. How is their inventory? My number one interest has always been selling out and selling through. I think that’s the magical difference. I don’t have to tell you the pressures that distributors get. That’s a business ethic that I have always had because there’s no interest in jamming the distributor. What for? Eventually there’s a meltdown. We’re seeing some of that meltdown now in the industry. I always ask Bill, “Any issues, returns?”
My people take care of the inventories. They balance. We have no returns. 2008, 2009 no returns!
SC: Bill, back to working for George Schaeffer at OPI. How is it - really?
BH: If you were to ask anybody who works at OPI, over 500 of us, we’d all tell you that we enjoy what we do. We still have fun. And the beauty business should be fun; and if you’re not having fun, you should get out of it.
GS: That’s f-u-n.
Salon City magazine Says It First:
Catch more ‘Schaeffer’ in Salon City Network News and Salon City magazine, including news ‘from Suzi’ and on OPI’s first Concept Salon: ROB/B in Studio City, CA
Join SALON CITY MAGAZINE at OPI FUTURE EVENTS.
See Salon City at AMERICA’S BEAUTY SHOW (Chicago) and IBS (NYC).
|
To Report Your News
Contact:
Salon City Network News Department
editor@saloncity.com |
|
|
|
|
| |
Published by
admin on
February 3, 2009
Okay, I’m sure some of our readers are wondering what does Cary do? He does not do much hair in the salon. Well part of my time is spent working on the industry. I am on the Leadership Council for the Professional Beauty Association. I truly love to work and love the industry as it is creative, fun, and our time is mostly spent helping guests feel better.
The following is an update from our Executive Director Steve Sleeper. A bit boring to those not in the industry. Maybe a glimmer of hope about our economy to others. Steve’s update
ISSE 2009 Preliminary Report
Greetings to everyone from sunny (and warm) Long Beach! I just wanted to give you all a quick update on some of the highlights from this year’s fantastic event.
Overall, we have a tremendous success on our hands for all of our members and the industry. The beauty industry is out of the gate strong in 2009 with its first event of the year and I am proud to say, PBA has set the pace!
- Exhibit Show Floor: The show floor looked and felt fantastic, had a tremendous amount of energy, was completely sold out (with a waiting list), and featured more high quality exhibits than ever. Sally’s and BSG were back with us this year for the first time in three years and did a great job of anchoring the majority of all the space in the arena expo floor. Overall feedback from our exhibitors was very positive, with many of them already committing to their space for 2010 as part of our on-site renewal initiative.
- Attendance: Preliminary numbers for Saturday, Sunday and Monday are tracking ahead of last years counts, with the combined total being ahead of 2008 by almost 10% at 32,970.. While it looks like we had the crowds we were shooting for, they were spending less on the floor due to obvious economic reasons. However, most exhibitors said they were buying more than they had originally expected.
- Education:2009 saw the quantity and quality of education at ISSE taken to a new high, with over 250 options for attendees to choose from. The shear variety and breadth of topics was truly impressive. Many of the complimentary classes were standing room only and fully one third of the paid classes were sold out. A special thanks to Cary O’Brien and Marilyn Ihloff for conducting a lively PBA Salon/Spa section fast fire/roundtable discussion class, way to go Cary and Marilyn!
- New Features: New this year was a PBA sponsored, members only lounge on Sunday and Monday, as well as a members only super bowl party! PBA also sponsored continental breakfast for all our exhibitor customers on Sunday and Monday that was appreciated in a big way. The PBA booth and PBA presence was well represented with member recruitment and retention being the number one priority. On site recruitment activity resulted in approximately 15 new members. We also implemented the new for 2010 membership committee recommendation (and implemented as part of the on-site renewal process) that all PBA member exhibitors receive a significant price break over non-members, thus effectively creating a ‘members only’ exhibit base. Early feedback from exhibitors on the new policy has been a non-issue, which I believe is largely due to the fact that more than ever, we are demonstrating the value of membership in PBA.
- Press and PR: Bona-fide press in attendance numbered over sixty this year and continues to grow year over year (50+ last year). Lee and I held a ‘meet the press roundtable’ discussion with about a dozen or so editors in the press room on Sunday that turned out very well. We talked about PBA, ISSE, government affairs, and PBA beauty week in July. They asked great questions and were very appreciative of the outreach.
- Other: The weather held out great for us this year, with not a mud slide in sight! It definitely had an impact. A big THANKS to your fellow leadership council and board members, Lee Rizzuto Jr., Bruce Selan, George Schaefer, John Heffner, Brian Graham, Ray Mager, Jeff Pink, Cary O’Brien, and Marilyn Ihloff who were here to help out in a big way.
Also, I want to recognize the extraordinary efforts that my team (and yours) at PBA has done in putting together what was a huge success. As always, they went above and beyond what was necessary to produce the best event of its kind for an industry we all care deeply about. They have done well for us all.
Well, that’s it for now, please let me know if you have any questions. A more detailed report will be available in the next series of board reports.
Best regards,
Steve
Steve Sleeper
Executive Director
Professional Beauty Association
15825 North 71st Street, Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
direct: 480.455.3439 | 800.468.2274 | fax: 480.905.0708
Steve@probeauty.org
www.probeauty.org
The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) is a non-profit trade association that represents the interests of the professional beauty industry from manufacturers and distributors to salons and spas. PBA is guided by the goal of enhancing the power, performance, and perception of the professional beauty industry.
