You can’t get all of your
hairdresser continuing education from a book, which is one reason I’m a big promoter of mentoring. It’s valuable in all industries, but for lifelong
hairdresser training is critical.
The cool part is that you can start out as the person who is mentored and, a little later in your career, grow into the role of
mentor. You will learn and find value on either side of the relationship. So many hairdresser industry icons mention the mentoring arrangement as key to professional development. Clairol Design Team colorist Danny Lapointe told me, “All new colorists should have a mentor to whom they can express all their fears and ask any question like, 'Why did the hair turn green?'” Chicago salon owner Jerry Gordon, a former president of Chicago Cosmetologists, describes the flip role: “I love mentoring my staff. I don’t tell them what they’re doing wrong; I think you get better performance from people when you tell them what they’re doing
right.”
Many hairdresser salons institutionalize the process by pairing up newbies with veterans, even if it’s simply an assisting arrangement. If you don’t have that in your salon and you’re in a creative rut or at a plateau in your earning potential, seek out a closer working relationship with the coworker you admire most. If, on the other hand, you’re on top of your game, volunteer to mentor a new professional who shows promise. Either way, you’ll cherish this experience as some of the best days of your
hairdresser continuing education.
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At right, Diego Raviglione, corporate artistic trainer for Graham Webb International, shares his expertise.)