Pro Beauty Talks

Karen Gordon, President of Cosmetologists Chicago and America's Beauty Show, is the owner of J. Gordon Designs and Karen Gordon Hair Loss Solutions. She is celebrating 42 years in the salon industry. Along with being a salon owner and hair color specialist, she is a Certified Trichologist. Karen was recently named the Director of Cosmetology USA for the World Trichology Society. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Intercoiffure America-Canada and is on the Board of Directors of Hair to Stay, a non-profit organization that provides "cooling caps" so people can keep their hair while undergoing chemotherapy treatment. In this podcast, Karen and Melanie discuss the industry and the importance of viewing beauty as a career choice. Karen also shares exciting information about the upcoming America's Beauty Show in Chicago, Illinois.  For more information: www.americasbeautyshow.com  www.hairtostay.org www.jgordonhair.com www.karengordonhair.com www.worldtrichologysociety.org  

Frank Fulco was appointed CEO of Cosmetologists Chicago and America's Beauty Show a few short months before the COVID pandemic. No time was wasted as he and the incredible team surrounding him dug in and worked tirelessly to continue their mission. During this podcast, Frank and Melanie talk about what prepared him for this role and the importance of this organization to the industry. He also shares his thoughts about the future of shows and how they might look in the future. In serving 29 years in the professional beauty industry, Frank is a proven senior executive with a strong strategic vision. He has held positions at leading professional beauty companies and is committed to serving others. About America's Beauty Show America's Beauty Show (ABS) is owned and produced by Cosmetologists Chicago (CC). Professional cosmetologists, nail technicians, stylists, and colorists from all over the world attend ABs every year to experience superior education and innovation in all aspects of beauty, as well as gain inspiration to take back to their salons. ABS is the financial driver of legislative protection for licensure & regulation, funds scholarships for advanced education, and boosts awareness of the excellence of professional beauty services. With more than 70,000 admissions including salon professionals and owners, aspiring students and teachers, headliners and educators, leading product manufacturers and distributor personnel showing their latest products and distributors their latest products and distributors, America's Beauty Show is a great destination for serious beauty professionals. For more information about America's Beauty Show, please visit www.americansbeautyshow.com

Sheila Wilson has served as the president of Intercoiffure for the last 3 years. She is an industry leader who consistently brings excellence and inspiration to all of her chosen beauty and salon-related endeavors. In this podcast, Sheila talks about the state of the salon business and why Intercoiffure is such an important part of the professional salon industry around the world. Melanie and Sheila also discuss the beauty business "post" COVID, how it has changed, and what that will mean in the future.  

Charlie Price Three Things Before I Go For this special episode of Pro Beauty Talks, Melanie is joined by Eric Gomez as a special guest co-host. Eric has been part of the beauty industry as an accomplished hairdresser for over thirty years, most of which as a platform artist and educator for TIGI. Eric will be a judge for the upcoming Hair Awards USA ******************************** Life is precious, and time is fleeting. Living our passion, being focused, and accomplishing our goals is paramount to a life well-lived. Charlie Price is a great example of an incredibly talented hairdresser that knows where he is going. During this episode of Pro Beauty Talks, Charlie reflects on how he became a hairdresser, artist, and such an icon in the beauty world. His manifesto is written and articulated through his work. Charlie is passionately focused on the growth of Beauty Underground Magazine and the Hair Awards USA. His third planned “big wow” project is a very exciting “gift” to all hairdressers and the beauty industry. Charlie gives us a sneak peek into what we will call for now “The Anthropology of Hairdressing”. To listen to the entire episode, please tune in to wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.thestylistnews.com

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change.” The last year has undeniably changed society, but it does not have to define our lives or keep us from having a clear vision for the future and a successful, happy life.  In this episode of Pro Beauty Talks, Rodrick Samuels and Lauren Moser shared their personal and professional lives and provide insight as to how the pandemic has impacted them.  This married power-couple and leaders of Hair Lab Detroit Barber School, passionately and tirelessly lead their students toward being the best they can be and to understand the reality of what it takes to be successful beauty professionals.  They also find the time and desire to share their expertise with the entire beauty industry as platform artists, educators, business development specialists, and advocates. In this podcast, Rodrick and Lauren shared their thoughts about how important it is to help students grasp the importance of embracing all different walks of life and backgrounds of the student body. Being vulnerable in their personal and professional lives has been instrumental in building the successful relationships they have with their students, children, and each other. Rodrick and Lauren discussed how important it is to them to be strong, effective mentors to their students. Both talked about tough subjects including the tragic loss of George Floyd and the violence against the Asian community.  Rodrick said, “It’s not about who’s right, it’s about what’s right.” Rodrick and Lauren also take some time to share their expertise on the importance of human connection and customer service in the salon environment.  To listen or download the complete episode of Pro Beauty Talks with Rodrick Samuels & Lauren Moser, visit your favorite podcast app including Spotify, I-Heart, Pandora, Apple, Google Podcast, and Stitcher.

Melanie and Sonya are friends and colleagues. They recorded a previous episode of Pro Beauty Talks almost three years ago. Those in the global beauty industry know she needs no introduction. She is an international beauty industry icon and has been sharing her inspiration and talent with hairdressers for over 40 years. This episode is a sequel to the previous show reflecting a heart-to-heart "girl talk" about self-care and self-love during these uncertain times. Sonya shares her thoughts about what this time has meant to her and shares her advice with others about the importance of living life on your terms. For more about Sonya Dove, please visit her website https://www.sonyadove.com

Podcast host, Melanie Kopeikin, Robert Lobetta, and Adam Federico worked together at Sebastian International at one time and remain colleagues and friends. Robert has a legacy in the business of over 50 years and is considered a top icon and guru in the beauty world. Adam and the Federico family are well known as a "beauty" dynasty specifically in the cosmetology school and salon arena. Adam is currently the Director of Content for R+Co. Both Robert and Adam have an extensive body of work and accomplishments. They are talented, intelligent visionaries. In this podcast, they discuss their relationship with one another as "Mentors and Mentees". They also share their advice on the importance of having a mentor and being one.

Marco Pelusi is globally recognized as a leading Haircolor Authority, renowned Platform Artist & Educator, Salon Owner, and fashion-forward Celebrity Haircolorist. Marco’s love for hair color began at his family’s upscale chain of East Coast salons. Early in his career, he became a top Educator at a leading Italian hair color company. He was then the National Haircolor Educator for an esteemed LA-based color company. Soon after, he opened Marco Pelusi Hair Studio in West Hollywood on Robertson Boulevard. There, he and his talented staff of seasoned Hollywood hairstylists offer world-class hair fashion to celebrities and trendsetters. Some of Marco's exclusive celebrity clientele include James Brolin, Carol Alt, Eva LaRue, and Carson Kressley. His luxurious salon is the premier retailer of the Marco® Collagen Color Guard® HairCare System, the first and only complete collagen-based system developed for color- and chemically-treated hair. Marco can be seen regularly at his sold-out performances on the main stages of the New York and Las Vegas Annual International Beauty Shows as well as The International Salon & Spa Expo in Long Beach. Marco also appears regularly on TV as a hair color Makeover expert on "A Healthy You & Carol Alt" on FOX and "Home and Family" on Hallmark Channel. Marco also has appeared as a beauty product expert on KTLA’s morning show (Channel 5 in LA). In 2020, Marco appeared as a judge on “The Look: All-Stars” on the CW network. In our interview, Marco shares his story about how he grew up in the industry and why relationships are so important in his personal and professional success.

The power couple, Phillip & Mary Wilson, are beauty industry luminaries and icons that have enjoyed incredible success in the beauty industry. Both of their mothers were hairdressers and they were born into a world of beauty. They met at L'anza and worked and traveled together as friends for over 10 years prior to starting a relationship. Phillip and Mary started Wilson Educational Productions INC. in the mid-1990s and both of their careers continued to sky-rocket as they played important executive, consultative, and creative roles for a number of top beauty industry companies. They started Wilson Collective in 2019. What makes Wilson Collective different? During this podcast, Phillip and Mary talk about why they decided it was time to begin a new journey with a brand that is salon-exclusive, direct, easy to sell, and offers consumers Peruvian Rainforest Rich Haircare. They also share their thoughts on what it is like to work together as a couple and provide some sage advice on how to be a successful "power-couple". For more information about Wilson Collective, please visit www.wilsonhaircollective.com  

Penny Burns, founder and CEO of Beauty Cast Network headquartered in Memphis, TN recently announced the acquisition of the assets of the Stylist Newspapers group from Holland Graphics in Portland, OR. Listen as Melanie interviews Penny and she shares her vision for both Beauty Cast and Stylist Newspapers, and how they will service the professional beauty industry.

Beth Bewley founded Eufora, a professional clean beauty hair care brand, with her husband, Don in 1997. As a former television producer and owner of a video production and marketing company, she started working behind the scenes for Eufora, managing product development, education programs, and day to day operations. After Don's passing in 2015, Beth chose to step out of her comfort zone and assume the mantel of CEO. Beth's two children now work alongside her at Eufora, continuing the legacy Beth and Don started over 20 years ago. In this podcast, Melanie and Beth talk about the industry in relation to COVID-19 and provides her thoughts and insights into the effects and necessary recovery efforts in the beauty industry. For more information about Eufora and the incredible salon programs they offer, please visit www.eufora.net  

Chadwick and Igor have devoted their careers to becoming the world's greatest curl and texture experts. With almost 40 years of experience in the hair industry and diving themselves deep in the world of curls, they have made an impact on thousands of women worldwide. Giving the proper education to each client who sits before them, these two have successfully encouraged their clients to change the way they think about their image and to embrace their natural beauty. In today's world, women constantly want what they don't have. Chadwick and Igor help women recognize that beauty is not only an appearance, its an act. Igor's creative mind and Chadwick's understanding of others needs, they have been able to create a company that changes the way you think about the common house-hold beauty tools and products. Their determination to invent innovative products helping those around the world is inspiring. This is only the beginning of the story, and by listening to this podcast you will feel the love and devotion that they share to help and serve others.

Meryl Kern was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. After her diagnosis, she began to experience a loss of her sense of beauty and sexuality. So Meryl founded Liftique, the first and only Integrated Plastic Surgery and Urogynecology practice in the USA. Kern wanted to create a unique one-stop holistic practice for women where they can get support and solutions from head to toes that are non-surgical, minimally invasive and as natural as possible in order to look radiant, feel confident and live well. After surviving multiple surgeries, Meryl's focus is on non-surgical solutions to address concerns of cancer survivors and other women. In this podcast, Meryl talks about age and the importance of how looking good makes you feel good.  She shares what led to the creation of solutions for the total body, even those that make you "blush".  For more information about Liftique and Meryl, please visit www.liftique.com

Linh Phan and Maggie Hancock are powerful beauty industry influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram. They are also a power couple and share their love for hair and life. They are uber-talented, sincere, focused, and authentic. I would like to say they are fearless but they would say they have fears just like anyone else. The difference? They move forward even in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Maggie has been a passionate hair connoisseur since she was a child and hair was her destiny. When she got out of school she assisted for a year, worked in a commission salon, owned a salon suite, did chair rental and now owns Moxie salon in old town Scottsdale. She is an international educator with 3 BTC OneShot Awards under her belt. Additionally, she is a member of the Schwarzkopf Professional Artistic Team and a mom to her beautiful son. Linh has been doing hair for over 10 years and considers himself a self-made man that started with nothing and built a name for himself in his uncle's basement. He specialized in edgy, unique cuts and color that didn't fit the basic mold. Also, a member of the Schwarzkopf Professional Artistic Team, his eccentric style attracted a lot of "scene" people. This is what inspired his iconic pseudonym, BESCENE. This dynamic duo had a creative vision. They developed a concept, story, vision board, and compelling authentic passion around what they believed was a fact: that everyone in the world could be blonde, no matter their ethnicity. "One Nation Under Blonde" was born and made a reality. Maggie and Linh brought the concept to SchwarzkopfUSA, they loved it and gave these artists complete and free creative rein to make One Nation Under Blonde come alive. The campaign went viral and continues to break records. This podcast was different for Pro Beauty Talks because it was the first time we simultaneously recorded both video and audio for future production uses. We were on location in one of the studios at the Schwarzkopf headquarters in Culver City, California I hope you enjoy Maggie and Linh's story about how they made One Nation Under Blonde come alive, what the toughest parts were, and what it is like to work together.

Beauty Changes Lives is leading a disruptive, hyper-targeted, social advertising campaign uniting some of beauty’s most influential brands, salons, and media voices. The “Make Your Mark” campaign aims to transform traditional perceptions about careers in beauty and raise awareness of the career opportunities, possibilities and potential available to licensed beauty professionals. COTY and Ratner Companies are the first two partners to join the campaign. COTY has pledged $100,000 to Make Your Mark and Ratner Companies has pledged a $25,000 campaign contribution. The program is endorsed by the Beauty Changes Lives board of directors, representing some of the most respected names in beauty including Bellus Academy, CND, Cosmoprof, COTY, Kao, Loreal, Make-Up Designory, Paul Mitchell, Pivot Point, Ratner Companies, TIGI, and Unilever. Beauty Changes Lives and its partners aim to raise $1M by 2020 to fund the first phase of the campaign launching January 2020. Our guest is Lynelle Lynch, President, and Owner of Bellus Academy. She is also the founder and President of Beauty Changes Lives. Lynelle will share her story and how she got involved in the beauty industry. She will also discuss how this non-profit 501-c3 impacts future beauty professionals. Since 2012, Beauty Changes Lives has awarded nearly 550 scholarships and changed countless lives. Lynelle talks about the annual Beauty Changes Lives Experience as a key fundraiser for the organization and how BCL works with leaders across specialties to sponsor scholarships, foster mentorships and provide the stage on which to showcase our individual and industry impact. Learn more at www.beautychangeslives.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

Nick Stenson has established himself as an expert in an ever-changing industry and is currently leading the charge for trend innovation at Ulta Beauty in the core areas of hair, skin and makeup services. He is passionate about the success of the beauty industry and as the Artistic Director and celebrity stylist for Matrix, a L'OREAL brand, Nick serves as a platform artist and spokesperson to some of the world’s best stylists at national venues. His video education series has taught techniques to thousands of stylists online. As a beauty expert and color specialist, Nick has hand-developed some of the industry’s most popular trends using prestigious hair color portfolios for Matrix Professional Haircare and Color and has styled Fergie and Nicky Hilton and many more celebrities. His vision for services at Ulta Beauty has led to the creation of the Pro Team, a first of its kind team of influencers and educators who represent some of the biggest brands in the Industry. Together the Pro Team influence and develop stylists and share the beauty industries values, culture and talent. Nick leads the corporate services team to develop and drive the strategic vision and execution of the services business including services innovation, education, marketing, and events. Using a platform that spans frequent appearances on national television, the covers of prestigious industry and consumer magazines, and stages across the industry, Nick is passionate about leaving his mark as a respected professional voice and face of the industry, one known for challenging the world to recognize the beauty. In this podcast, Nick reflects back on his beginning years as a hairdresser and shares his thoughts about the importance of manifesting what you desire in your life.  Please enjoy my interview with Nick Stenson.

After getting her Industrial Engineering degree, Diana dove head first into corporate America taking her first job as Associate Brand Manager at Procter and Gamble. She spent 8 years at P&G, lived in 4 different countries and developed her passion for the beauty industry when working on developing the makeup and skin care line for Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci as Global Brand Manager. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, she was in charge of conceptual product development, marketing, global expansion and celebrity relationships including Scarlett Johansson, Monica Bellucci and Felicity Jones.  The next step in Diana’s career was a category jump to the telecommunications world focused on Latin America. The valuable lessons served her well, yet a return to beauty was eminent. After leaving Palladio Beauty, she decided it was time to live her dream by creating a brand that really makes a difference in the world and No B.S. Skincare was born. This innovative indie beauty brand featured in Refinery29, Cosmopolitan and Business Insider, prides themselves on creating a new kind of skincare by bridging the gap and making it easy and affordable for everyone to have a chemical-free and eco-friendly beauty routine. Because, let’s face it, not everyone has the time for a 12 step K-beauty routine or money for a $300 bottle of champagne serum!  Listen as Diana talks about her brand and the cult-like following it has enjoyed. This talented female founder of No B.S. has a contagious enthusiasm for this beautiful brand. Trust me, I have started using many of the products and I have to say, they are no B.S. Enjoy my chat with Diana Briceno!

Boom Boom Brow Bar is 11 years strong!! As one of the first walk-in brow bars in NYC, Malynda Vigliotti (aka Boom Boom) empowers others to celebrate their own personal gorgeousness without breaking the bank or making appointments. She makes brows fast, convenient, affordable and FUN-27K+ served last year…377K+ since 2008! Brow Power to the People! A self-proclaimed eyebrow queen, Boom Boom went to the Fashion Institute of Technology, trained as an esthetician, and is now a top brow educator-IBS New York is a constant. She knows there’s no such thing as natural beauty, but she does believe a perfectly done brow is an instant eye-lift. The K-BOOM Brow being the most popular style- a long, full, straight brow with less of an arch. Boom Boom believes that shaping brows while sitting up is the best. It allows for symmetrical arches and better judgement of where brows should begin and end in relation to the other features on the face, which helps to make them proportionate. Features get distorted when lying down, making it harder to create a shape that will ultimately look good when standing up. She also uses Flash Wax, a low-temperature, creamy, soothing lavender was that’s super gentle- even on sensitive skin! In this podcast, Malynda shares how she started her brow queen journey and grew her business to serve over 75 clients a day. She also talks about all things brows and her philosophy on creating the perfect brow service for each client's individual needs. As a successful businesswoman, Malynda shares her thoughts about the importance of work-life balance and why bigger isn’t always better. The New York Times loves Boom Boom: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/nyregion/23joint.html Vogue does too: https://www.boomboombrowbar.com/press/ Refinery29 named Boom Boom Brow Bar one of the top 10 spots to get the best brows ever: http://www.refinery29.com/eyebrow-shaping-nyc#slide-9 Just walk-in…The Real Housewives of New York did! Also seen in In Style, Bustle, Byrdie, PopSugar, The Knot, Nylon, Vogue UK, Spa Week, American Spa, Eye Lash, Newsday, The New York Post… Shop for products, services and gift cards on: https://boomboombrowbar.com  Instagram: @BoomBoomBrowBar Facebook: @BoomBoomBrowBar  Twitter: @BoomBoomBrowBar.  Contact:  Glow Communications squinn.glow@me.com 207-781-2598

Daisy Jing is the CEO and founder of Banish, a multimillion-dollar skincare company that only sells on its website, banish.com. Daisy started Banish by accident; she had struggled with acne all her life and decided to create a YouTube channel documenting her struggle. That YouTube channel has over 700 videos and 70M views today. From there, she realized many current skincare ingredients such as fragrances or fillers break her out and so she created her own products out of her kitchen. All the products are natural, vegan, cruelty-free, do not contain any of the ingredients that cause acne for her (namely silicones, mineral oil, petroleum, artificial preservatives colors and fragrances). The rest is history. Daisy was awarded Forbes '30 under 30' in manufacturing, as well as an Inc.500 entrepreneur and awarded in LA's "Fastest-growing female-owned companies in Los Angeles". She also serves on the board Of Entrepreneur Organization-Los Angeles, is a member of Young Entrepreneur Council, and has sponsored and mentored many young female entrepreneurs through her alumni, the Duke Alumni Association. Most recently, she is a TEDx speaker and speaks regularly about the struggles we battle with perfection and how to overcome our own inner critic. In our girl to girl talk, Daisy and I discussed what it was like to grow up feeling unattractive and having acne at a very tender age in a girl’s growing up years and what that was like. She candidly shares how she started with her first YouTube video in 2009 with absolutely no idea she would attract such a following. Her purpose was to help others with similar issues or concerns and she did that. This became her passion. In 2013 she decided to create Banish with the same goals. To help people who have skin issues. Daisy talks about how she uses social media with intention and purpose and how she avoids the "device addiction" so many people have. Yet, she also talks about the “skin positivity” movement and how that message IS supported through social media and specifically Instagram.  Daisy is focused, driven, and committed to making a difference and she has grown her business into a multi-million-dollar company. At the same time, her number one goal is to help others with similar issues and helping them overcome their own inner critic.  She has generously offered listeners of this podcast the opportunity to enjoy $10.00 off your purchase of Banish products by using this special code: https://banish.com/probeautytalks. The URL will be in our show notes. Enjoy my chat with Daisy Jing, CEO, and Founder of Banish Inc.

Sara Happ is the founder and CEO of Sara Happ Inc. a beauty company creating luxury lip products sold in 400 stores nationwide and distributed in 20 countries. Started in 2005, they are best known for launching the first-to-mass lip exfoliator of its kind, The Lip Scrub, and the cult-adored glossy balm, The Lip Slip: One Luxe Balm. A Chicago native and USC alumna, Happ began formulating the "lip scrub" while working for ESPN in Connecticut where the freezing winters left her with persistently chapped lips. When a Google search for "lip scrub" returned no results, Happ decided to create what simply did not exist. A broadcast journalist, Happ knew nothing about the cosmetic chemistry but knew exactly how she wanted her Lip Scrub to feel and taste- and more importantly, the results it needed to deliver. Using her kitchen as a test laboratory, she concocted The Lip Scrub through trial and error, mixing sugar and essential oils to produce an exfoliant that transformed the texture of lips, instantly.  Sara Happ is a celebrity favorite and has become a must-have for celebrities including Katie Holmes, Kate Hudson, and many more. Host Melanie Kopeikin has been a devotee to the entire range of lip care products created by Sara including her favorites the Lip Slip and Dream Slip. Sara shares her story and what it was like to grow her business from the kitchen to where she is today. She also talks about life, leadership, and priorities.