ELEVATE YOUR GAME Wella's Talent Development

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ELEVATE YOUR GAME Wella’s Talent Development programs enable you to take your career to the next level FAMILY MATTERS Wella redefines famly support with an industry first: child care discounts for hairdressers

©2012 The Wella Corporation,

You’re more than a stylist. You stand up for what you believe in and touch the lives of those around you. We’re here to help your salon make an impact on its community, big or small. Visit HairdressersAtHeart.com for more information.

HAIRDRESSERS AT HEART.

talent DEVELOPMENT Wella helps stylists develop skills through mentorship and competition.

In It To Win It

Under the mentorship of Wella professionals, stylists gain confidence and test their limits, whether in competition or behind the chair.

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hen Wella, the salon professional division of P&G, unveiled Hairdressers At Heart at the end of last year, the company was communicating its commitment to support stylists at every stage of their careers. The four-pillared program includes scholarships for aspiring stylists, childcare assistance for working parents and contributions to established stylists’ favorite charities.

In considering how best to help the industry’s young talent – those just starting out in the business – Wella Creative Director Fabio Sementilli says the team considered how their own careers had developed and flourished. “Competitions have vaulted me to where I am today,” says Sementilli. He is a three-time winner at the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) who has also taken home the OMC Hairworld Supreme Trophy three times. “Through competitions, Wella educates, inspires and mentors beginning hairdressers to celebrate their creativity and help them develop into successful stylists,” Sementilli explains. Wella’s commitment to hairdresser career development is the driving force behind the Hairdressers At Heart campaign. Through mentorships with established professionals, Wella gives Wella’s Hairdressers At Heart provides opportunities for young young stylists the opportunity hairdressers to work with mentors in a live competition setting. to compete on a world stage at events such as the International Trend Vision Awards (ITVA) and NAHA. Wella also sponsors Team I.C.A.N., a group of newly minted hairdressers who compete under the mentorship of Sementilli and Diego Raviglione, a Wella top stylist and Artistic Director of Bellus Academies. This year, 19 year-old Katey-Bug Browne will serve as Wella’s ambassador for the Talent Development Pillar of Hairdressers At Heart. Browne, who received her cosmetology license in 2012, was a member of Team I.C.A.N. when they took top honors at the RAW competition last year. “I always knew that I wanted to be working with clients; giving them a transformation,” says Browne. “Mentoring has really paved the way for me.” Sementilli says that the program does more than help new beauty school graduates develop new skills; They also gain experience working under pressure, as well as experiencing the thrill of seeing their creativity exhibited on a world stage. “It really helps them reach the next level,” Sementilli says. “In elevating this segment of our industry, Wella is also working to elevate the profession as a whole.”

Wella North America mentors young stylists through a number of competitions every year, including: • Wella Trend Vision Awards • Team I.C.A.N. • Wella Student Competition at America’s Beauty Show (ABS) • Sebastian Professional What’s Next Awards Visit hairdressersatheart. com for competition entry and deadline information, or to submit questions to the Wella team.

The Kid Rocks

With enthusiasm and energy to spare, 19 year-old Katey-Bug Browne was recently named Wella’s ambassador for the Talent Development pillar of Hairdressers At Heart. American Salon’s Karen Ford caught up with her to talk about how the program is helping young stylists. Q: First I have to ask…where did your name come from? A: I have been going by Katey-Bug my whole life. A lot of people drop “Katey” and just call me “Bug”. Even Fabio Sementilli calls me “Bugsy.” Q: How did you decide to become a hairdresser? A: I started working at my mom’s salon when I was eleven and I fell in love with it. I was always doing my friends’ hair for dances in middle school and high “Competitions school. I was making everyone else look their best and I was always the can bring one crunched for time to get ready. so many I couldn’t get my hands out of their opportunities to hair and into my own! I think one a young stylist thing that really helped me decide to just beginning a become a hairdresser was seeing how happy the clients were when they career.” would leave the salon. Hairdressers change people’s lives by transforming their image, and that’s an amazing feeling.

Q: What was the experience of competing like? A: Nerve wracking! So much work goes into competing. But knowing that all of your hard work has paid off and that you have made your mentors proud is the katey-bug browne best feeling in the world. It makes you nervous when you’re a part of something so big, and knowing that it means so much to so many people including yourself. But it was one of the best experiences that I have ever been through and I will never forget it. Q: What was the best thing about being a part of Team I.C.A.N.? A: The best thing about being on the team and competing was all the people I was able to meet. Working with Diego Raviglione, Fabio Sementilli and Carole Protat was incredible. And my teammates – we’re like family now. I don’t think a day goes by that we don’t talk, we are all so close. We had to adapt to each other and open up to each other so fast that I don’t think we really had a choice but to become best friends.

Q: How did you first become associated with Wella? A: I grew up in a salon where my mom was—and is—an educator for Wella, so it has always been a familiar brand. I started becoming associated with the company myself when I was in beauty school, entering Wella competitions and meeting people who worked for the company. I’ve always known that I wanted to work for Wella, but I didn’t know I would be a few months after I graduated beauty school!

Q: What do you feel is the most important thing you’ve gained as a young stylist through that experience? A: I think the most important thing I learned is that there are so many different ways to achieve something and so many different techniques out there. Every stylist does things a little differently. When you pay attention to other artists and watch how they do things, it helps you to grow that much more.

Q: How were you chosen for Team I.C.A.N.? A: During beauty school I had entered the P&G Salon Professional Student Competition at the 2012 ABS Chicago show and I ended up winning the Sebastian category. I was at school and got a Facebook message from one of the studio directors saying that she had exciting news for me. Of course, I called her right away. And that’s when she told me I had been chosen, along with four other people, to be a part of this amazing team. I was speechless. Tears of joy immediately rolled down my face.

Q: Why do you think competitions are important? What can they offer to a young stylist’s development? A: I think competitions are very important, especially when you’re just starting out. You get out there, and you see what other people are doing, what kind of work they’re putting out. You start working very creatively and start stepping out of your comfort zone. Competitions can bring so many opportunities to a young stylist just beginning a career, especially with a company such as Wella. They’re always looking for up-andcoming stylists to become a part of the creative team.

All the

World’s a Stage

Through mentorship and participation in live events and competitions, Wella is helping to shape the next generation of creative leaders in hairdressing.

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ella is on a mission. With more than 130 years of history as an industry leader, the salon professional division of P&G is now nurturing the next generation of creative innovators through the Hairdressers At Heart program. The Talent Development pillar focuses on that goal by partnering recent beauty school grads with mentors, then giving them the opportunity to test themselves in the demanding and rewarding arena of live competitions. Wella-sponsored teams will provide industry newcomers a chance to work side by side with well-known stylists like Brenton Lee, Diego Raviglione, Nick Berardi and Fabio Sementilli. Creating under pressure and expanding their skill set, they’ll experience the thrill of exhibiting their work before a live audience, then step into their new careers with confidence.

OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: Sebastian Professional’s Omar Antonio and Wella Professional’s Paul Nassrallah take the stage at Wella North American Trend Vision 2012; model on the runway at Wella Trend Vision; audience excitement. THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A Trend Vision finale; hairdressers at What’s Next Awards Berlin; on the runway; Remi Cardin of Quebec accepts the 2012 NATVA award in the Young Talent category; a model showcases an avant-garde look.

Wella’s Student Competition, held every year at America’s Beauty Show (ABS) in Chicago, provides a first taste of competition for many. “Our goal in creating the Student Competition was to offer a platform for those who have the drive to fulfill their dreams and start to build their profile,” says Annie Leibman, program manager for Wella Schools. “From the competition onsite meet and greet, stage rehearsals and experiencing the behind the scenes excitement of prepping models in a room filled with many iconic artists, to the live stage presentations, this has become a life changing event for these students.”

“Our philosophy of mentorship is deep-rooted within the culture of our company,” says Sementilli, Wella’s creative director. “With Hairdressers at Heart we recognize the need for mentorship and support throughout the stylist’s career and support them during the most fragile time in their professional lives: the first two years out of school.” Competitions such as the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA), Trend Vision and RAW, where Wellasupported Team I.C.A.N. took first place last year, will provide opportunities for young talent to blossom under the mentorship of top Wella stylists.

TOP (BOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT): Mentors Carole Protat and Fabio Sementilli, Team I.C.A.N. members Kristin Bacaycay, Katey-Bug Browne, Brenton Lee, Katie Ann Woods, Kathryn Hornick, mentor Diego Raviglione. LEFT: Mentor Raviglione demonstrates a technique for team member Hornick. RIGHT: Browne works on a model backstage.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Judges at the Wella Student Competition at ABS 2012 in Chicago; runway glamour at ABS; student winners show off their prize money; a competitor styles a model backstage; a model rocks a mohawk/cornrow hybrid on the catwalk at the Wella Student Competition.

Child care DISCOUNTS FOR HAIRDRESSERS Wella redefines family support.

Balancing Act

Wella gives working professionals the support they need to be great stylists and the best parents they can be.

WELLA PROVIDES CHILD CARE DISCOUNTS AT OVER 900 LOCATIONS WHO IS ELIGIBLE: • Working hairdressers in Wella, Nioxin, Sebastian or Clairol Professional salons, with children between the ages of two to 12 years (for regular day care) or six weeks to 12 years (for back-up care.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION: • Visit hairdressersatheart. com.

Child care photography: getty images

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tylists with young children at home face special challenges. Unlike their colleagues who don’t have kids, they can’t concentrate only on developing their craft; they have responsibilities that can make it difficult just to show up, let alone give their best while behind the chair. Rueben Carranza, CEO of Wella North America, grew up with a hairdresser mom, and he says he remembers the trials that presented. “Our back to school clothes were always based on the tips she’d received,” says Carranza. “If my brother or I were sick and she had to stay home, a whole day’s worth of bookings were gone. I remember the challenge of that.” To help stylists with children balance their careers with the sometimes unexpected demands of parenting, the Working Talent pillar of Wella’s Hairdressers At Heart program provides financial assistance for child care. Wella has partnered with Learning Care Group, Inc. to provide discounts on child care at its facilities throughout the country. Parents of children between the ages of two and 12 years can save approximately 10% on child care services at a Learning Care Group facility, which provide day care programs FROM TOP: Wella’s with age-appropriate curriculum Hairdressers At Heart is joining designed specifically for their child. with The Learning Care Group The Wella hairdresser discount to provide discounts on child care services; ambassador at Learning Care Group centers also Alexandra Matiz. applies to back-up child care for those times when the usual child care arrangements are unavailable, for instance, when the nanny or family care-giver is ill. Back-up care is available to parents of children between the ages of six weeks and two years, and can be booked on short notice. The Learning Care Group is an international leader in child education and family solutions operating in more than 40 states. The facilities under the Learning Care Group banner are Childtime Learning Centers, Tutor Time Childcare and Learning Centers, The Children’s Courtyard, Montessori Unlimited, and La Petite Academy. Each offers a unique environment to meet specific needs of the child and parent. The ambassador for the Working Talent Pillar is Alexandra Matiz, a salon owner, educator and top colorist for Wella. Matiz has two children herself, ages 12 and 14, who have grown up while she has been building her career. Matiz says that if her husband and mother hadn’t been there to help with child care, she never could have achieved so much.

Double Duty

Stylist, educator and father of four Anthony Cole discusses the joys and struggles of being a full-time parent who also works behind the chair.

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hen Wella created the Working Hairdresser Pillar of their Hairdressers At Heart program, they had stylists like Anthony Cole in mind. The pillar provides discounts on child care services to working hairdressers, something Cole says he wishes had been around when he and his partner decided to adopt twelve years ago. “We spend literally all of our money on child care,” says Cole, who adopted son Sean with his then-partner twelve years ago. “It was very, very difficult. My partner was a police officer who worked in the early mornings. He’d be home by two o’clock. Lots of days I left for work about noon.” On most days, that left at least a two hour gap without child care. Like many in his situation, a lot of Cole’s help came from family. “My mother passed away but when she was still around she and my sister were really supportive,” he says. When they couldn’t help out, there were baby sitters. The first day care center he used was across the street from the salon he and his partner owned. “I’d be going back and forth all day. During lunch, on my breaks – I was there,” Cole recalls.

He and his partner eventually adopted three more children: William, now 20, Ryan, 10 and Anna, 5. Cole describes an all-too-common scenario of a couple struggling to meet the demands of work and family, while trying to find time to nurture the relationship. “The kids came first; the salon came second. The relationship definitely suffers,” Cole says. He and his partner split up two years ago but remain committed to co-parenting their children. “My ex-partner is very supportive because he knows I travel a lot,” says Cole of his work as a Sebastian platform artist. “We make a double home… everything the same, down to the bunk beds.” It’s double the expense as well, but Cole considers himself fortunate: His expartner is now retired and has more flexibility to take the kids when Cole is traveling or busy at one of the two salons where he works these days. There is also a nanny who stays with the children as they move back and forth between homes. “She’s like a dream,” says Cole. “She cooks, and the kids are like her own. Before she came I prayed for her: ‘Please, God, send me Mary Poppins.’” The woman who appeared to answer those prayers, coincidentally named Mary, has been a part of the family for two years. Last October, the home Cole shares with his children was devastated by Hurricane Sandy and, in another challenge to his parenting skills, he had to find a way to make a temporary home for himself and his family. Like so many affected by the storm, Cole’s flood insurance had been cancelled after Hurricane Irene. CoLEFT: Sebastian workers at Manhattan’s Muze Salon Platform Artist helped raise $5,250 for Cole in the Anthony Cole onstage. ABOVE: immediate aftermath of the storm, and Dad Anthony Cole Hairdressers Helping Hairdressers, the with two of his four industry-wide effort for Sandy relief, will children, William and Sean, in 2002. Cole come through as well. “That helped us has been a working get into our apartment,” says Cole. “I’m parent for the last really fortunate.” twelve years.

Stylists are committed to being the best, perfecting their craft with every cut. Wella is here to advance the salon industry, one stylist at a time. Hairdressers At Heart is a program created to help stylists develop their talents throughout their career. Our goal is to be a vital partner to salons, empowering individual stylists and our entire industry.

Visit HairdressersAtHeart.com for more information.