Tag: beauty industry

Coty Changing The Definitions Of Beauty

~ Joseph Kellner

One of the world’s largest beauty companies with a portfolio of iconic brands across fragrance, color cosmetics, skin and body care, launches a new campaign to change the dictionary definitions of beauty. The #UndefineBeauty campaign recognizes that the current English language definitions of the term ‘beauty’ are outdated and no longer reflect the values of today’s society. Specifically, the examples cited under the current entries for ‘beauty’ across the leading English dictionaries are both limiting and exclusive.

Sue Y. Nabi, Coty’s CEO, has written an open letter to the major Dictionary houses, co-signed by the Company’s Executive Committee and Senior Leadership Team, highlighting the outdated nature of their definitions, and their need for review.

Sue Y. Nabi said, “Seen through the lens of today’s society and values, the definition of beauty hasn’t aged well. Of course, not all people are impacted by, or feel excluded by these definitions. But the implicit ageism and sexism in the examples were born in a different time. We believe it’s time to bridge the gap – time to bring the definition to where society is today. By changing the definition, if more people feel included – feel beautiful – there will be a ripple effect which touches us all.”

“At Coty, we believe that no one can control or dictate what is, or is not, beautiful,” said Sue Y. Nabi. That is why the campaign to #UndefineBeauty aims to ‘undefine’ rather than simply ‘redefine’ beauty, so that no one feels excluded by the definition or examples that accompany it. Founded in Paris in 1904, Coty is one of the world’s largest beauty companies with a portfolio of iconic brands across fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and body care. Coty serves consumers around the world, selling prestige and mass market products in more than 130 countries and territories. Coty and our brands empower people to express themselves freely, creating their own visions of beauty; and we are committed to making a positive impact on the planet.

Clients Have Changed Since The Government Lock Down

~ Joseph Kellner

Inflation and/or stock market volatility are not causing a slowdown in spending from salon clients. Those that did report a decrease in spending (47.1 percent) said they’re experiencing less frequent visits, a decline in add-on services, a delay in appointments and less spending on retail. And, of course, some clients have opted to take their hair routine into their own hands, coloring at home or embracing their grey. Those who are seeing an uptick in services said they are mostly conditioning treatments, smoothing services and color upgrades. Yes this industry will be changing. Especially if we see a depression in the future. Right now a lot of consumers have to worry about the increase in gas, rent, mortgages, food etc. In the next few months we will see new elections come arising and people will vote for there choose. A lot of citizens are very unhappy with the current administration and there handling of nationwide matters. Maybe the tide will change for the better for our nation. But to me there is a change in priority in beauty needs. Basic survival is the constant now. Not hair.

  • Clients are expressing more creativity and spontaneity, and especially a willingness to try new services.
  • Clients are booking standing appointments as far out as a year.
  • Clients are seeking low or bald haircuts to spend less on maintenance.

Nail, Hair and Skin Pros Sue California Gov. Newsom

~ Joseph Kellner

The beauty industry joined restaurants in suing California Governor Newsom, requesting immediate and permanent reopening. The vast majority of the beauty industry is made up of women, first-generation immigrants and the LGBT community. Ten months after the Governor mandated salon closures, the state has failed to produce any “data and science” justifying the criminalization of the services of these state licensed professionals.

“Our small businesses, less financed and politically connected than multinational corporations, Hollywood and other so-called ‘essential businesses’, have become the go-to sacrificial lambs to the Covid gods,” said Professional Beauty Federation of California (PFBC) Counsel and Advocate Fred Jones. “This has been ruinous for thousands of our establishments and the livelihood of tens of thousands, without any justifiable basis.”

Lead counsel and high-profile LA attorney Mark Geragos commented: “What has become obvious is that the Governor and so called health officials never followed ‘science or data’ on closing down outdoor dining or capricious lock-downs of safe barbershops and beauty salons. Instead of following the science they followed the Lobbyists and allowed film companies to utilize hairstylists and makeup artists, while preventing the same services to be done in salons by the very same trained professionals. By definition this is ‘unequal treatment under the law’.”

“Cutting hair is a criminal act in only one State in the Union,” reminded PBFC President Ted Nelson. “Governor Newsom is arbitrarily and needlessly destroying the livelihoods of state licensed professionals who have the formal education and training to keep their clientele safe from infections, as the CDC has acknowledged. Shame on him!

Independent workers: When do we get unemployment?

~ Joseph Kellner

Hair dressers, gig drivers, landscapers, freelancers and other independent contractors who work for themselves normally don’t qualify for unemployment benefits.  But these aren’t normal times.

The $2 trillion government stimulus program is supposed to finally give unemployment benefits for millions of self-employed people who do not pay into the unemployment compensation system as full-time employees do.  However, many of them are growing more nervous by the day as they wonder when they will see the money.  Laura Grant, like many people on furlough right now, is desperately trying to reach her state’s unemployment hotline to learn if she now qualifies for benefits. Grant is a hair stylist who manages a six-person salon called Beneath the Crown in Florence, Kentucky. All the employees are independent contractors who rent booths. She’s had no luck reaching a live person in Kentucky’s unemployment office. Every time she calls, thousands of other people are trying to do the same.  Hair salon workers, freelancers waiting for stimulus aid.

Thousands of people in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana work as hairdressers, drivers, landscapers and other independent contractors.  Many are out of work, and still waiting to hear if they’ll receive unemployment benefits or not.  Hair dressers, gig drivers, landscapers, freelancers and other independent contractors who work for themselves normally don’t qualify for unemployment benefits.  But these aren’t normal times.  The $2 trillion government stimulus program is supposed to finally give unemployment benefits for millions of self-employed people who do not pay into the unemployment compensation system as full-time employees do. However, many of them are growing more nervous by the day as they wonder when they will see the money.

Laura Grant, like many people on furlough right now, is desperately trying to reach her state’s unemployment hotline to learn if she now qualifies for benefits.  Grant is a hair stylist who manages a six-person salon called Beneath the Crown in Florence, Kentucky. All the employees are independent contractors who rent booths.  She’s had no luck reaching a live person in Kentucky’s unemployment office. Every time she calls, thousands of other people are trying to do the same. She and her fellow stylists have tried filing online for unemployment benefits but have had no luck because they have no “employer.”  “I was able to fill it out, but in the employer section, I had to put ‘self employed,’ so it denied me,” she said. President Trump and state leaders have announced that the stimulus package specifically provides benefits for self-employed and gig workers, but these hair stylists and millions of other workers like them have yet to see it.  Workers at Beneath the Crown are praying it happens. Until it does, they’ll be facing down looming bills without any way to pay.  “It’s been two weeks and I haven’t had any income,” Grant said. “We all have car payments. There are a couple of single moms who work here, so we are all up in the air and we don’t know what to do.”

Kentucky’s unemployment office says self-employed workers should fill out the online forms anyway, and the state government will “fix the issue at the back end” when the federal money comes through. Other states are also telling independent workers to file, even if the form rejects them at this point.  Grant hopes it happens soon. In the meantime, she’s trying to live by the message in her lobby: “Think positive and positive things will happen.

Corporate Employment In The Beauty Industry Leads You Only To The Working Poor.

~ Joseph Kellner

 

Working in a fully developing economy in the United States jobs are very plentiful.  Any one can go out and get a part time job or full time job with out education in the food service industry and come home with $13-$15 dollars a hour.  You can practically go into any restaurant and get $13.00 dollars a hour to start off with.  Which is good for a lot of people since they are in college or semi-retired people looking for added income.  But in the beauty industry the corporations are making the professionals the working class poor. Never in my mind would I have though these corporations would treat  beauty industry professionals with such little respect and poor wages. So many of these company’s will tell you they are for there employee’s, providing false medical insurance and lack of pay raises. Working for these corporations is the same as working in a sweat shop in China or a Asian nail salon in the U.S.

The chains salons and the franchised salons are pretty much the same when you go for employment. They give you a all caring “Gun Ho” lecture of how important you will be to the “TEAM”, the “TEAM” is the management and owners of the salons that are franchised. A all promising future you will have with there company and how much they care but in the end employment with these corporations they will chew you up and spit you out. Not caring about you as a employee, in here minds they know there will be another coming through the door in a few weeks to take your place when you quit.  You are just a number, that’s it a human body to make money and make you follow there rules. And not caring if you have any family, “Its all about the company”. But in there advertising they will let the public know its all about there employee’s.

If you are new to the beauty industry I would not recommend employment at the following company’s.

How many interviews I have done with fellow professionals who have worked at the above named company’s and have not had good experiences.  People have worked for years at Regis corporation and have not received pay increases. The same goes for anyone who has or now works for Great Clips. These company’s will force there employees to do a haircut service under 15 minutes, and will also time you on how long you take to sweep up your hair after a haircut service.  If these practices they teach and tell you to do are not met they will fire you.  I had a sit down with a former employee of Great Clips and was told to me that there was a academy were the owner of the franchised salon has to send you to learn the computer, hair designing methods and customer service skills required by the company. This was not given to her when she was hired and never got it.  But was required by Great Clips Corporation for all franchises owner to do for all new hires in there salon.  She was paid a minimum of 9.00 hourly and was told she could give herself raises by selling retail and talking customers into washing there hair for 4.00 extra. Most of the time she told me she would work on people who have not washed there hair in days and was filled with hair spray etc. The made for a very unclean atmosphere to work in.  But that’s Great Clips promising and not delivering. Twisting there words into falsehoods to there new employees.  While the whole time banking on your efforts, especially when they have $7.99 haircut specials that Great Clips has all the time.  You make no money but the owners do.

Split shifts were required of her but no compensation for gasoline. Her day would start off at a 10-2 shift and was let go and told to come back at 5-9 shift. And of course she lived in a area that was 45 minutes away, so what could she do sleep in her cat till the next shift. Again no compensation for gasoline to get back and forth. SAD!  These are the new times of corporations and how they make the beauty industry professional the “Working Class Poor”. Working a full time job with part-time pay will get you nowhere in this day and age except into debt.  So letting you know as a customer when you walk in to one of these establishments let it be known to you that the stylist is really working for tips. Because there wages date back take home pay from the 1980’s. These stylists are under a lot of stress to make money, and when you are in a atmosphere like that people are trying to get you in and out so they may take another client who has walked in and is waiting for there service. In that atmosphere there is a lot of “CAT FIGHT” on who gets the next client, and who is up next. People will skip one another for that extra client.  You the consumer will only get a 10-15minute haircut if you go to Great Clips. WHY? Because that is what the company wants.

So if you are a employee of one of these company’s 9.00 a hour times 30 hours weekly gives you 270.00 times 2 gives you 540.00 and then they take out for credit card tips, which gives you a bi-weekly salary of nothing.  They will not give you full time because they will not pay for your insurance. And they will also give you a “BS” story of how much more you can make but it is merely penny’s on the dollar.

You cannot make a living with these corporation. And they really don’t care if you do or not!