High Performance Salon Academy co owner Jason Everett gives some free advice on social media marketing and salon operations while talking with Tony Gordon from Gordon Salon and T. Gordon Salon Talks. Jason is a new voice in the industry as un like other consultants he comes from outside the business. He is not a hair designer. And because of that, he has a special perspective. He sees our industry from the outside in. Many of his clients show some rather dramatic results. 
But after seeing his presentation at the Millennium conference and using and speaking with salon consulates for many years, I think his big take away is absolutely engaging way of handling people and an audience. Not to say his presentations aren't packed with great info, they are. But he is just super fun! 
Jason is one of those guys you sit to have a simple talk with and end up with belly rolls of laughter. He is a great personality and a new welcome fresh face for this industry.

Tony Gordon

Gordon Salon

T. Gordon Salon Talks

gordonsalon.com

From his website description; Jason's infectious high energy and drive to make everyone he meets the best possible version of themselves, has landed him on center stage in the Salon Edu-tainment scene. Jason is one of the founders of the High Performance Salon Academy which specializes in taking salons that are already successful and cranking up their success to an 11! Their non-traditional and unconventional approach to learning uses the latest in technology and social media strategies to quickly train and equip the most attention-strained owners, leaders and service providers on how to rapidly implement what they learn. Even more important than the wealth of information they provide is the massive results they help their clients achieve, often raising the Average Ticket, Pre-book Rate, Guest Count and Take Home Income from 20-40% for everyone they work with.

http://www.highperformancesalonacademy.com/

My sister Kathrine Gordon is a champion among hair stylists, she votes for the academy award winners in hair and make-up and has been doing Hollywood hair for 40 years. Like many Gordon's before her, Kathrine Gordon chose the hair industry, but with an entirely different take than the rest of the family. She is a Hollywood Hairdresser. As her family, we are all so proud of her -- she has "made it" in an incredibly tough part of the industry. A specialty like no other: hair for film, television and theater. She has done it all and to a level that has made her a judge for the Academy Awards. She and I talked about doing a podcast for a long time and her own humble way, she said, "why?" 

What Kathrine does is what many young stylists want to do, but like many young people, they have no guidance on how to achieve their goals. What are the pitfalls? What is the job really like? In this amazing discussion we talk about what it is really like to work on superstars, A-list celebrities and the extras on a film set. What skills do you need? What is the focus and how does it all function? What is it like to be in a trailer or make up tent for 16 hours a day? Where does one get these skills and how do they take it to next level -- the level that gets them the dream job? 

I remember being back stage at the Horwich Jewish Community Center on Chicago's far north side, while my sister did hair and make-up for a production of Guys and Dolls. I distinctly remember my thoughts while watching her work, "How does she know how to do that? Why does she look so confident?" Yes, I am the braty little brother. 

After beauty school and tutelage from great hair stylist and grandmother Rose Gordon Greenberg (that's a story for another podcast), Kathrine went on to the San Francisco Opera company, where she learned wigs, characters, production pace and so much more. She ended up in New York at 30 Rock! -- that's the fourth floor of Rockefeller Center -- where she worked for Jane Pauley on the Today Show, soap operas, a local news cast and eventually Saturday Night Live.  At Saturday Night Live she created wigs and hair for some iconic characters: Garth and Wayne for Wayne's World and many many others. From New York, it was off to Los Angeles where she entered the movie and television business of Hollywood. She was tasked with creating the looks for many characters and movies from HBO's Dorothy Dandridge Story with Halle Berry to American Hustle with Christian Bale and Amy Adams. She continues to work with A list celebs. Right now she is deep into multiple projects with Anne Hathaway. 

In this fascinating podcast, she talks about what it takes to do this job: reading scripts, creating characters and maintaining the all-important continuity from scene to scene. 

If your interested in this type of hairstyling work or know someone who is, take a listen to this conversation with my amazing sister, Katrhine Gordon. 

Tony Gordon

Gordonsalon.com

T Gordon Salon Talks

Gordon Stylist Academy

Eufora: The Next Generation

How do you find your own voice in an industry where your father had such a huge impact? It is something I deal with all the time, but think about the young Sam Bewley. Sam now works for the company his late father founded and doing it great justice. As you can hear in this fascinating conversation with an important new voice in the professional salon industry, Sam Bewley is deep into his business and making new things happen. 
Eufora has been around since the 90s, slowly gaining steam, focused on the benefits of aloe vera for hair and scalp. Sam grew up in this crazy world of products and beauty shows, but made his way in the tech world at first. After his father passed away he made his way back to the family business and is now full time, with his wonderful mother and CEO Beth Bewley. 
In our conversation we discuss a wide range of topics, including the threat of Amazon. I love Sam's take on it, "we are in chapter 2," but if I jump in with Amazon what happens in chapter 6, 7 & 8? We determine that Amazon is the silver back guerrilla destroying so many companies in its path. Sam goes through an in-depth discussion about how Amazon targets and the potential fall out for companies that follow their direction. It isn't good. 
Sam knows his stuff!
In this conversation he describes Eufora. Sam talks about the different divisions of the company: products, hair color, education and some of the big events they put on. His favorite is, Global Connection. A massive fashion show, beauty education opportunity and salon party in San Diego. Sounds great even if your salons are not Eufora. 
Sam, clearly loves his company and is excited for the future of our industry. 
Take a listen to this podcast and/ or Youtube video from this new voice in our industry with a great beauty legacy and history. 

Tony Gordon
T Gordon Salon Talks
Gordon Salon

Salon & Retail Environments of the Future: A conversation with Leon Alexander

Leon Alexander from Eurisko Design is one of a hand full of people in the beauty business who has visualized the future. In this podcast he describes his background that has led to his current thinking on where the service industry and specifically the salon industry is heading. "People are social," he says. He is right, and yet the technology marches on. Leon and I have met up many times. Last time at the high tech Millenium Experience, a conference put on by one the top makers of salon industry software.  He gave a one hour talk to a packed room describing the future of retail and salon environments. Of course it had plenty of the scary discussions we see and hear in the business press: Artificial intelligence, robotic this and that, Amazon Go and all sorts of other wiz bang dire predictions. But Leon knows the salon business. He started with Sassoon at the beginning and reinvented himself many times over as a salon owner, product distributor, QVC salesman, etc. Salons need people, especially the types of salons that buy his furniture. These clients, "not Guests" need and want the contact, the interaction, that affirmation that comes with a root touch up and a trim. Of course they can use a little more entertainment in the salon.  Leon believes that retail will have a lot of crossover in the future. He envisions mixtures of business, like a salon and coffee shop. Leon thinks some of that, "entertainment" can be automated, all while selling more product and services. Is this the brave new world of salon operations? Take a listen.

Tony Gordon

T Gordon Salon Talks

Gordonsalon.com

Leon Alexander from Eurisko Design is one of a hand full of people in the beauty business whom has visualized the future. In this podcast he describe his background that has led to his cuurent thinking on where the service industry and specifically the salon industry is heading. "People are social," he says. He is right, and yet the technolgy marches on. Leon and I have met up many times. Last time at the high tech Millenium Experience., a conference put on by one the top makers of salon industry software.  He gave a one hour talk to a packed room describing the future of retail and salon environments. Of course it had plenty of the scary discussions we see and hear in the business press: Artificial intelligence, robotic this and that, Amazon Go and all sorts of other wiz bang dire predictions. But Leon knows the salon business. He started with Sassoon at the begining and reinvented himself many times over as a salon owner, product distributor, QVC salesman, etc. Salons need people, expecially the types of salons that buy his furniture. These clients, "not Guests" need and want the contact, the interaction, that afermation that comes with a root touch up and a trim. Of course they can use a little more entertainmemnt in the salon.  Leon beleives that retail will have a lot of crossover in the future. He envisions mixtures of business, like a salon and coffee shop. Leon thinks some of that, "entertainment" can be automated, all while selling more product and services. Is this the brave new world of salon operations? 

Tony Gordon

T Gordon Salon Talks

Gordonsalon.com

Throughout my time with Aveda and the beauty industry, I can't remeber a time we weren't going through enormous change. Who knew that we would end up in this place at this time? Aveda  has seen its big changes:  from Horst to Estee Lauder, from Dominque's group to a lot of new faces. April Anslinger is the new North American Senior Vice President for Aveda. We met as Aveda Congress was ending two weeks ago in Minneapolis. 

It truly amazes me how someone can come from the outside of a company as tight as Aveda is and learn its underpinnings and issues as fast as she has. In our conversation we talk about Aveda's view on booth rentals. Aveda's new e-commerce approach called "A-Commerce," is the first in the industry.  We discussed the containment of Amazon. The structure of the relationship and how decisions and reporting flows from Aveda and Estee Lauder. And of course we find out who April Anslinger really is: her background, her home life etc. 

Are sales techniques the final frontier of service businesses? If you have tried  almost everything else to enhance your business, maybe it is time to dive into good old sales efforts. I have often thought about the idea of making sales training a bigger part of my company training, but I have relented. Not that we don't do some sales training, we do. Sales is often soundly rejected by so many stylists. Most stylists want to focus on artistic, design skills and definitely not sales. Even if the logic of sales techniques bringing more people to work on and more ways to make clients look and feel great. Why not then? 

Sales is simply uncomfortable for so many people. I asked one stylist on staff, she said "you risk rejection and worse it might make you unlikeable." God forbid any of us take the risk that we are deemed not "nice." "Nice" is one of those universal goods,  it is like a currency or an additional star are on some blanket rating system if yelp had one for individuals. She is so nice...., bless her heart. Oh gag me!

Thank God for this latest podcast with Carol Phillips from Beautee Smarts a sales training company for the beauty industry. She talks about the success she has found. She tells us about salons and spas with 30% increases in sales and individuals seeing massive growth. Take a listen to this 30 years veteran of beauty industry sales with clients from Canyon Ranch to 5 chair mom and pops. 

Tony Gordon

Is it possible that a great sales force is more important than a staff with technical skill? IN my discussion with Carol Phillips of Beautee Smarts an expert in sales training for beauty businesses, the thought crossed my mind. Like most high end salons, we spend an enomous amount of money and time getting stylist good even great. I remeber the story of IBM in their early days. The

Going into an Inspiring Champions seminar is like culture shock, a jolt to the system. People implore you to "wakey,wakey" as they slap these clapper devices back and forth. The energy and passion is like a rock concert mixed with a pep rally squared. And Lauren Gartland is leading the seeming riot and spectacle before your eyes. At first I remember ducking for cover, but now I get it. Lauren is right, if you want to be a champion a whole lot of people in our industry need to "wakey, wakey."  Honestly they need to wake up, shaken up a little and get on with life. Lauren Gartland does that for salons and salon professionals. 

Take a listen to an inspirational talk and introduction to one of my favorite people in the salon industry, Lauren Gartland from Inspiring Champions. 

How to be a Celebrity stylist-A conversation with Marco Pelusi

Marco Pelusi fits right in the Hollywood scene, effortless cool, velvety voice and loads of beauty cred. Marco does a lot of famous people's hair. He is especially focused  on hair color, he is what we call a celebrity colorist. He throws around names like James Brolin and George Clooney as if there all buddies, and he isn't kidding, they are. As a stylist you become quite familiar with your clients, as we all know.  I am a little familiar with this special world of celebrity hair styling. The celebrity world has its special considerations. 
Celebrity handling are stories of lore at Gordon Salon and in the Gordon household. Like when my father did Tipper Gore’s hair for the Democratic Convention in Chicago or my sister worked on this celebrity and that,  for various films, Walk the Line, American Hustle and many more. I like Marco’s philosophy when it comes to celebs, “ Just treat everyone like a celebrity.” 
The celebs do need some special consideration, there is no doubt. A Celeb has paparazzi, and an entourage and a current script they are working with. So Marco has a special salon space to keep out the prying eyes; on a second floor and in the back, a special entrance. More than anything, Marco knows how and when to stay quiet, an important attribute in this selectively secret town. Loose lips sink scrips.
Now I know there are so many young stylists who want to break into this star studded world. What does it take? According to Marco Pelusi, no relation to Nancy the California congresswoman, he says-networking. Yep, good old networking, rubbing shoulders, follow up phone calls, who you know, etc. 
Now it helps to be a very accomplished practitioner in the art of hair. Marco teaches large classes at big hair shows and has a huge social media following, has a team of stylists, his own product line and a strong legacy of great hair. He is a top stylist. 
In regard to his salon, in California, all are hampered and he laments the state of salons in his adopted place.  Marco is one of those guys that if he was almost anywhere else in the country he would have a huge salon with lots of staff, yet not here. California has a group of laws that restrict or make it virtually impossible to run a traditional salon. 98% of all salons are booth rental, the bain of the industry. For those of you that aspire to be a superstar like Marco, a celebrity stylist in West Hollywood,  just subtract the mega salon you want to own from the equation. Tinsel town has its ups and downs. 
Since Donald Trump was a TV star before entering politics I couldn’t help but ask what he would do to the Prez’ hair. Marco advised changing his hair to wheat or beige, basically toning it down. Melania was safe as she fits his aesthetic and high taste level for the perfect locks. As he was saying that Trump's hair should be toned down, I couldn’t help but think “The Donald”  could be toned down  in all areas. 
Marco knows how to create what looks good on camera. A special skill. Marco can teach you, get in touch with him at marcopelusi.com
Tony Gordon
Gordonsalon.com
Gordonstylistacademy,.com