MENU
SEARCHWITH ITS 2011 THEME, the Professional Beauty Association’s Symposium, held July 30-August 2 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, will encourage participants to “Be More Intelligent.” Keynote speakers and finely tuned workshops combine with high-profi le networking time to offer salon professionals the wisdom to advance both their careers and beauty businesses. SALON TODAY invited each Symposium presenter to give us a preview of the wisdom they’ll share:
Get Smart
WITH ITS 2011 THEME, the Professional
Beauty Association's Symposium, held
July 30-August 2 at Mandalay Bay Resort
and Casino in Las Vegas, will encourage participants
to "Be More Intelligent." Keynote
speakers and finely tuned workshops combine
with high-profile networking time to offer
salon professionals the wisdom to advance
both their careers and beauty businesses.
SALON TODAY invited each Symposium
presenter to give us a preview of the wisdom
they'll share:
Stedman Graham
Graham is the author of the book, You Can
Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for
Success, and a frequent motivational
speaker. Graham's motivational
presentation will help owners focus
on achieving success in life and
business. "Individuals hold the
power to their success or failure,
and establishing your
identify is the first step
toward leadership," he
coaches. "If you want
to lead others, you
have to lead yourself
first by claiming your
identify."
Glenn Baker
In "What's the
Formula for New
Client Retention,"
Baker, vice president
of Head
Shoppe Company,
will share a proven
training system to
begin increasing
new client retention. And, his "Are Your
Vital Signs In the Zone?" presentation shares
the vital signs that a salon's staff need to
focus on, how to maintain the zone state
of mind, and key industry benchmarks on
clientele development.
Tom Kuhn
"Salons are missing 71 percent of their
opportunities, but there are easy ways to
reach this untapped potential," says Kuhn,
founder of Qnity. Through his Stylist Coach
program, Kuhn offers easy-to-follow tools
and practices to help you gain growth from
your team, inspire and retain staff, teach
business to ‘creatives,' and develop a fasttrack
for senior and master staff.
Julie Shepperly
Through real salon
and spa case studies,
Shepperly, an industry
author, consultant and
educator, will show
owners how to "Build
a Thriving Culture in
a Changing Economy." "Attendees
will gain ways to help manage the
inevitable challenges businesses
face with blended team generations,
diverse client demographics,
new marketing channels, and
the expanded skill sets required
of today's top leaders," she says.
Jamie Naughton
Culture is the key to success
at Zappos.com. By focusing
on your employees and customers,
good companies can become legendary
companies. Naughton, who serves
as Zappos' speaker of the house, will
teach owners how to implement
culture and stay relevant to both
employees and customers.
Scott Buchanan
To improve your
results, authentic,
courageous, clear
conversations are key.
Through a working
module focused on measurable results,
Buchanan, owner of Scott J. Salons and
Spas, offers three take-home ideas, four
objectives and the seven principles of Fierce
Conversations.
Harry Wood
Learn what it takes for a stylist to make more
than $100,000 a year. As a leading stylist
and educator for Van Michael Salons,
Harry Wood developed the "Six Figure
Hairdresser," a program that offers practical
steps for stylists to build more rewarding
careers and achieve their financial dreams.
Gregory Bledsoe
In addition to being a civil rights and employment-
related litigation owner, Bledsoe
is married to a salon owner. His attendees
will gain a better understanding of how to
look at growth, as it relates to the beauty
industry via the legal system. Learn about
human resources and compliance and how
to protect and help your business prosper.
Kristi Valenzuela
Through her unique, interactive program,
Valenzuela will enlighten salon owners,
managers and front desk professionals
about the possibilities of new revenue
through the efforts of the front
desk with upgraded customer-service
techniques, enhanced sales skills,
and learning how to support the
stylist's business. Valenzuela
is the founder of Crystal
Focus Salon Coaching
and a partner in Summit
Salon Business Center.
CLICK!
For more information and for tickets, visit probeauty.org
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
