Carrie Bowden, L’Oreal Sales and Education Coordinator in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been with LP since November, 2009 and have been a hairdresser since 1997.
Q: Team members can come from all walks of life, they have many talents, tell us about your background and how you got interested in working in the professional salon industry.
I received my cosmetology license in 1997, two years after graduating high school. I decided to get into the beauty industry after watching my aunt, who is also a hair stylist, fall in love with her career. I worked behind the chair in salons for many years until deciding that I wanted to explore other opportunities in the industry. I had always been passionate about education. I loved learning new things and sharing what I had learned with others. I received my Cosmetology Instructor’s license in 2007 and worked as the educational director for a cosmetology school with a large hair care & color manufacturer. After a couple of years doing this I decided that I wanted to take my career even farther, leading me to the position that I have now with L’Oreal Professionnel and Salon Centric.
Q: How do you stay on top of your game as a resource to your salons and what are some of the resources you rely on?
I try to stay in touch with what’s going on in the industry and industries that influence ours. From current fashion to economical trends as well as what our competitors are doing. I make sure to also communicate with my team on a regular basis, from my PAM to my ATT’s and DSC’s as they always have new information to share with me that can help me with my business.
Q: How do you keep your salon teams informed and motivated?
I try to take part in as many of the salon activities as possible from events they may be participating in to regular monthly salon meetings. I feel it is important for them to know that we are there to support them at all times, not only when a new product comes out. By keeping regular contact with them I am able to keep touch with their challenges and successes and be a part of it all. I work closely with my whole team to run promotions and contests that will keep our salons constantly striving to do more, and of course encouraging them to take advantage of all of the wonderful business and educational opportunities that are available to them through L’Oreal Professionnel!
Q: What does your ideal salon look like?
My ideal salon is one who is constantly looking for ways to grow their business and take it to the next level. They are a Black Elite level salon or are working hard to get there. They are committed to L’Oreal Professionnel and carry our entire portfolio of brands, participate in on-going education and business building programs and work with our team of professionals to be a market leader salon.
Q: How do you ensure that when you visit your salons, they have the best experience possible each and every time you visit?
I feel that building a relationship with my salons is the most important thing I can do. I work hard to get to know all of the players in the salon, from the front to the back. Pre-planning is also very important, making sure everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect. Once I am able to earn their trust it is very easy to have both fun and productive salon visits because they believe that I am only there to help them achieve their very best.
Q: What was one interesting thing you heard lately while visiting a salon?
After teaching a recent Majirel & Richesse class to a salon that is just converting to LP color, a stylist commented on how easy LP color seemed to be to formulate and that if she would have had this years ago she would have probably enjoyed haircolor a lot more. She is looking forward to her new discovery!
Q: What is something that surprised you lately?
One thing that has surprised me lately is the number of stylists that are currently part-time educators for other manufacturers and approach me about learning more about being an educator for L’Oreal Professionnel. This usually happens either during an INOA certification class or a follow-up support day. This just really goes to show that the name L’Oreal Professionnel is out there more than ever and people are excited about it!
Q: Give us an example of a challenge you came across in a salon and what role you played in overcoming the challenge?
I recently had a challenge with a salon feeling like INOA was not covering their clients white hair. I went into the salon for a follow-up support day and found that since their initial INOA certification class that they had fallen back into habits that they had for formulating and applying their other color line. We did hands-on with some models and clients allowing them to realize the importance of proper application. They can now see if they respect the product and the process they can achieve amazing results!
Q: What salon related accomplishment are you most proud of right now?
My PAM, DSC, DSM and I recently had a meeting with an industry leader salon who was just named best salon in Atlanta by Allure magazine to discuss INOA. They are a very big and prestigious Wella Salon. They had heard about INOA in the media and even had a client bring in an ad from Allure magazine asking how she could get this color. Two weeks later I was in the salon certifying the staff, which includes two Wella educators. So far they are having great success and my DSC said that on a recent visit one of the salon owners was sporting his new INOA color apron!
Q: What is one trend (good or bad) that you see with salons right now and what are you doing about it?
I think that salons are starting to put more focus on branding. They want to have more continuity throughout the salon and be able to be “part of something”. Through educating my DSC’s and salon’s on the advantage of consolidating their purchases with one brand, LP, we are able to show them how big of an impact this can have on their business. Their clients feel they can trust their recommendations more because they believe in and support one line rather than multiple which can give the impression that you can “just use anything”. They also see how much they can benefit from being a part of our Elite Loyalty program.
Q: Please share a snippet of wisdom that you would like to impart to the team.
Be a team player and respect everyone that you work with. None of us are able to achieve the highest level of success by ourselves. Everyone plays an important role and the more we work together and value each other’s insight the better we all do in the end!
