Category: Featured

The Future Of Beauty: “Lasers That Can Help Grow New Hair”, With Tamim Hamid

The most important advice would be to always listen to your gut feelings and don’t hesitate to pursue your goals. Many people delay or put off their desires and miss opportunities in life as they get used to not listening to themselves. Especially after the age of 25, it seems like we have built up enough knowledge and experience to know what we want and what would be good for us. As we age, it becomes easier to follow our instincts if one knows how to listen to them. Otherwise, the opposite is true if we learn to ignore them. Many people overthink, using their heads, which can sometimes be limiting.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tamim Hamid.

The inventor and CEO of Theradome, scientist Tamim Hamid began his career at Kennedy Space Center (NASA), where he designed various cutting-edge biomedical technologies including designing and implementing laser systems. Prior to Theradome, Tamim was Senior Vice President and the leader of the Worldwide Medical Division for Sanmina.

The Theradome helmet uses laser hair regrowth treatment known as Laser Phototherapy (LPT), the most powerful and effective treatment for hair loss. Unlike Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) devices, their laser light targets the stem cells at the base of hair follicles. This allows the formation of a new photonic pathway that can restore hair to a healthy state. Easy-to-wear at home or at the office, it contains 80 laser diodes, cool airflow and auto-scalp detection in a full coverage helmet. FDA-cleared, the helmet is recommended by 4 out of 5 hair loss experts such as Bosley, Hair Club and other prominent medical clinics from all around the world.

Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

It started at NASA, Kennedy Space Center, working on LASERS as a biomedical engineer. We designed and implemented many leading-edge LASER technologies for the Space Shuttle Program and astronauts. Some LASERS were used to cut metal and other materials and some were used to measure, so they were as harmless as a grocery store barcode scanner. Therefore, after having about 30 years of LASER experience, I came up with a brand-new type of LASER. With my bio-medical engineering degree, I saw a huge opportunity to transfer my knowledge of LASERS to help people with hair loss.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I have always been a huge fan of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ and Barbara Eden. During my teenage years, it was my dream to be just like Major Anthony Nelson and work for NASA and become an astronaut and live in Cocoa Beach, FL. I lived in Cocoa Beach, worked for NASA and met my beautiful wife. I just stopped short of becoming an astronaut. However, the ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ connection didn’t end there! After NASA, I created Theradome, a laser device that helps people with hair loss to grow new hair. One day, I received a call inquiring about our device for Ms. Barbara Eden. Of course, I was shocked! I responded immediately by sending my Theradome device to her.

It didn’t end there! I finally met Barbara in person when she presented me with The Innovation Award at the renowned Hollywood Beauty Awards in 2018. Everything came full circle. I met the person who inspired me to go to NASA and now I am helping her with her hair condition.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

I strongly believe that experience, knowledge and just plain good luck can make someone pretty successful. But, in the end, it really is about people because products, processes and tools are easy to solve. Finding great people is one of the most difficult challenges for any company. Good people cost money but they can make things happen.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

There were many great leaders and colleagues in my 30+ year career that inspired me, but the ones that stood out the most were the ones with passion and the ability to lead by example. I would say the best Project Manager I have ever learned from was at Kennedy Space Center. She really knew how to manage all aspects of a project and get the respect from everyone involved. She would go into a room with many people with different and opposing viewpoints and in the end she would find commonality amongst all of them and redirect them towards a common goal. This was amazing to watch.

The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

We are in the midst of a third wave of a technology revolution. The first was the industrial revolution, the second wave was all technology and now the third wave has to do with applying technology to the human body. Applying, for example, non-invasive photonic energy to stimulate the mitochondria. This will be the ultimate feat in naturally stimulating the body to repair and wake up cells and will become the next beauty frontier. Today, we are just cutting, removing, and adding materials to enhance the body. The next wave will allow us to modify the body without damaging it.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

The Hippocratic Oath stipulates to do no harm, and this is something that Theradome technology offers; it has zero side effects and in fact, this is one of the only reasons I pursued this technology as I believe that this will be the future. For example, light is very necessary and without light, no humans would be able to live. The right light stimulates and visible light is very healing. Therefore, it is essential to understand and utilize the visible light spectrum to our advantage since our bodies are optimized to process light for maintaining our lives.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

Beauty tech is in its infancy as physics will solve many biomedical issues. Unfortunately, today the beauty industry does not have many physicists working in it. Physicians and chemists have reached their limit with their tools.
We are excited that the next generation of beauty tech tools will be mostly at-home products and the quality and efficacy of these products will improve substantially.
Integrating medical grade at-home devices with apps will allow better relationships with clinicians, stylists, friends and family. This will allow better management and outcomes.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

It concerns me that unscrupulous medical and non-medical professionals promise clinical benefits with very little proof or evidence. This should be addressed but unfortunately money talks and gives some professionals too much authority.
Products with little or no benefits along with too many claims. The FTC/FDA and others are trying to combat this but they have a long way to go because professional sponsors are paid well to promote these types of products.
Consumers can be easily fooled and driven to medical procedures based on very little information. Sometimes these procedures and solutions are very risky. There should be strict guidelines for submitting procedures that have gone wrong to an independent organization as well as strict oversight.

You are an expert in science and technology. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful” with tech? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Always try to go to higher altitudes, the higher the altitude the better it is for your body. The body works much better when there is a lack of oxygen, it actually has to work harder. When it works harder it becomes more efficient. There are many clinical studies showing that lack of oxygen (hypoxia) actually increases well being and people living in high altitudes live longer than people living at sea level.
The human body was meant to keep moving, the more we move the less we age, always keep moving. Stagnation brings negative thoughts, one has to be fluid in life and moving helps with feeling beautiful.
The two absolute best exercises to keep young and beautiful are yoga and swimming. Yoga helps with oxygen and breathing, and swimming has no impact on joints. Both stimulate every muscle, tendon, ligament, tissue in every part of your body, including one’s face!
Everyone should be using a steam spa as this allows the body to open up as the skin, sometimes referred to as the third lung. Most people do not realize that the body’s lymph system needs to be flowing to allow proper blood flow.
Try the new red LED beds, these are similar to the tanning beds where one lies in a full length array of LED lights. The benefits of red light have been proven for many cardiovascular conditions.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

The concept of saying hello to people in real life. This is a lost art. I believe that this has to be one of the most essential ways of communicating with each other. A simple hello when seeing someone walking down the street or when someone opens the door for others or just anytime it should be said. Sometimes it might not be practical but it is amazing what can come out of saying hello to someone. If more people said hello, I believe we would go back to socializing again and learn how to communicate with each other as it always starts with just saying ‘hello.’ You never know what it can trigger!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

The most important advice would be to always listen to your gut feelings and don’t hesitate to pursue your goals. Many people delay or put off their desires and miss opportunities in life as they get used to not listening to themselves. Especially after the age of 25, it seems like we have built up enough knowledge and experience to know what we want and what would be good for us. As we age, it becomes easier to follow our instincts if one knows how to listen to them. Otherwise, the opposite is true if we learn to ignore them. Many people overthink, using their heads, which can sometimes be limiting.

How can our readers follow you online?

www.theradome.com

https://www.instagram.com/theradome

https://www.facebook.com/Theradome/

The Future Of Beauty: “Lasers That Can Help Grow New Hair”, With Tamim Hamid was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty: “New Technologies That Can Improve Our Smiles” With Dr.

The Future Of Beauty: “New Technologies That Can Improve Our Smiles” With Dr. Sam Muslin of Face Lift Dentistry

The beauty industry is improving the quality of our lives, which allows us to present ourselves with more confidence. What I appreciate about my method is that it has major health benefits that also greatly improve the quality of our lives “from the inside out, and from the outside in.”

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Sam Muslin.

Our eyes are magically drawn to symmetry represented in any type of artistry, natural or manmade — and especially in a person’s face. Symmetry is intrinsically beautiful, and balanced facial proportions accentuate natural beauty. Creator of the revolutionary Face Lift Dentistry® method, Dr. Sam Muslin is an entrepreneur on a singular mission to correct patients’ profile and bite. It was specifically designed to help individuals achieve their optimized level of natural aesthetic beauty without any drugs, Botox®, facial fillers, soft tissue surgeries, or chin implants. Decades ago, Muslin discovered that the lower jaw greatly determines the shape of the face, supports the lips, and defines the facial profile. He realized that repositioning the jaw could be a solution far superior to braces, drilling, and orthognathic surgery. Armed with this nugget of truth, he embarked on his professional career to improve patients’ lives.

Dr. Muslin is a highly-respected leader in his field and often makes media appearances. He has appeared on the American syndicated talk show television series “The Doctors” and has also been interviewed on the KTLA morning news. His patients are receiving far more than just gorgeous but natural-looking teeth. They also experience less stress in their jaw, optimal oral health, and more a youthful appearance in their entire face.

Dr. Muslin is a member of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, earned Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, and was awarded by the International College of Dentists.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I suppose you could call it an awakening — or a revelation. Regardless, it was a pivotal, career-defining discovery. I was in my senior year of dental school when it became apparent that the profession was basically patchworked denistry: fill this tooth or crown that one. The porcelain veneer approach neither corrects bites nor improves health. My patients crossed the entire age spectrum. The standard treatment for younger patients was orthodontic braces. I viewed those solutions as short-term fixes, as patients often had to undergo jaw surgery later in life — and even a second round of braces. I saw a common theme in nearly all of the seniors I treated; through the process of aging, their teeth had worn down. When tooth erosion occurs, faces actually shorten. This a serious problem that transcends appearance, because once the face becomes shortened, space inside the mouth shrinks. It gets crowded in there, leaving the tongue with precious little room. This creates a ripple effect that can interfere with sleep and also lead to tension and, occasionally, posture issues. The popular consensus was to perform jaw surgery to modify the jaw position and size. That’s such an invasive procedure! Braces and surgical options are painful and time-consuming. The only other alternative is to drill down all the healthy teeth for porcelain crowns and full-mouth reconstruction. To me, that was ridiculous. Now we are getting to my revelation moment. Instead of following the trend to perform patchwork dentistry, I envisioned — and eventually pioneered — a comprehensive non-invasive method of treatment that has all of the benefits and none of the pain, prolonged time, and risks associated with the other choices.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

In my early days, I treated a teenager who had a collapsed face and several missing teeth. Consequently, the shape of his face was out of balance; it was short and wide. My treatment was directed toward his teeth only. Then a year later, when the treatment ended, I noticed the shape of his face had completely changed. It was shocking! He had a new jawline and a very masculine chin. This simple procedure had transformed him into a beaming, handsome young man who exuded self-confidence. This transfiguration occurred without me having a clue that it was actually possible.

Are you able to identify a tipping point in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

The tipping point occurred 43 years ago when I realized that patients’ stress, tension, and pain could be relieved, while simultaneously improving facial proportions by moving the jaw into it’s most natural and comfortable position. JawTrac® is a technology that locates the most functional jaw position, which is a prerequisite for reshaping a patient’s face, jawline, and profile — and subsequently, enhances the patient’s health. Further, it yields outstanding cosmetic benefits. Using JawTrac®, I implemented a quick, minimal-risk treatment plan that has been wildly successful.

Once I witnessed patients’ reactions to their new appearance — and how it had enhanced their lives — I stayed the course; this was confirmation that my life’s mission was to help individuals rise to a new plateau of natural beauty. Each patient has unique requirements and treatments. So for me, it became a form of scientific, functional art. It was artistic healthcare that improved structure and function concurrently. Patients with wider smiles feel comfortable with their new facial support and are eager to make more impressive first impressions. When individuals look their best, they resonate with self-confidence, discover and appreciate their authentic self, and feel more empowered and motivated to stretch themselves to tackle new challenges. This type of dentistry transforms a patient’s entire life, allowing them to project a more secure body image and self-confidence.

During my first year of dental school, a fourth-year student invited me to accompany him to the dental clinic to see what he called ‘real dentistry.’ He knew that the extent of my clinical experience consisted of working on stone models. At first, I recall being very nervous about being caught on the premises by the instructors. As time progressed, I quickly began to understand how the clinic operated. This fellow student, who I didn’t know very well at the time, taught me the value of being graded by strict instructors because they force you to think harder. I’m grateful that he took me under his wing; the entire experience gave me a different perspective on working with patients. Thanks to him, I completed my four-year dental school requirements in only three!

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

In the past decade alone, advancements in imaging technology, bonding technology, and stronger porcelains have helped make this method a winner. Dentistry can now create an artistic masterpiece that improves the health of the patient, while also giving them an enormous bonus: cosmetic benefits.

Three vital “cutting edge” components necessary for natural beauty with facial proportioning and profile enhancement are all part of one comprehensive treatment plan. It maximizes functionality and aesthetics for patients from teens to seniors in their 80s. In addition to its aesthetic benefits that eclipse anything veneers can offer, patients can now attain a vastly higher level of physiological health. This approach improves health, specifically providing TMJ relief, improves breathing, facilitates a restful night’s sleep, and alleviates head and neck discomfort.

JawTrac® is an avant-garde technology that locates patients’ most natural and optimal jaw position. It works when night guards, braces and aligners have failed. Instead of working within the limits of your teeth, it can surpass these limits by improving the design of teeth with beautiful, natural colored shape improvements. JawTrac® technology identifies and holds that jaw position by redesigning your teeth without the need to drill. It is a truly remarkable advancement in how bites are corrected, and pain is relieved. Part of our procedure is to allow the patient to test drive the new jaw position; they take it home and experience the difference themselves. This way, we are confident the new jaw position will produce the desired outcome before treatment ever begins. We also required a new non-invasive restoration with a precision fit to go over each individual tooth, allowing the patient to floss, brush, and chew normally. The greatest achievement with these custom restorations is that no dental drilling is performed on the natural healthy teeth. This cutting edge technology is called VENLAY® Bite Restorations.

JawTrac® and VENLAY® Bite Restorations are part of the exclusive Face Lift Dentistry® Method, which was designed to give patients a transformative experience. The health, cosmetic benefits, and comfort are a powerful trifecta that boosts self-confidence and enhances their natural beauty.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

Everyone will age, but looking old is optional. One of my senior patients shared a story with us. Her granddaughter asked, “Grandma, you look really old, are you going to die soon?” We can’t slow down the age clock, but people shouldn’t allow aging to get in the way of letting their natural beauty shine. Optimizing beauty through dentistry has advantages over many other choices because teeth are hard tissues. Our unrivaled treatment supports the soft tissues of the face, improves the profile, and balances the lower, mid, and upper portions of the face. The best part is that there is little to no recovery time, and it can be a supplement to any other beauty enhancement treatment.
Many teenagers with overbites and underbites have been told their only treatments are jaw surgery and braces. Self-esteem issues often arise when they wear braces for years. Now, thanks to this revolutionary approach, they have an option. Instead of accepting such a grim prognosis, they can have the facial features that are natural to them and dispense with the hardware.
The beauty industry is improving the quality of our lives, which allows us to present ourselves with more confidence. What I appreciate about my method is that it has major health benefits that also greatly improve the quality of our lives “from the inside out, and from the outside in.”

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

70-year-olds do not need to look like they are 30 to be beautiful.
Too much emphasis is placed on “looking good” rather than “feeling good.”
Everyone has the potential of having an optimal jaw position, but people are mostly not aware that this method of dentistry can exponentially improve their life, without discomfort, without drilling, without braces or aligners, and without surgery. Both the public at large, and medical professionals should be alerted to this possibility.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Basic hygeine is so easy but people still lack the discipline to habitually follow these procedures. Floss, brush and water floss before going to bed and as soon as you wake up. When we clean our teeth before going to sleep, we cut off the food supply to the bacteria that causes painless gum disease. The ripple effect is bad breath and swollen gums around the teeth. A patient once said, “I never thought about doing it before bedtime. I only brush in the morning.” Basic hygiene is something we do because we care about ourselves. Another patient claimed she did not have time to do it in the morning. I said, “Then go ahead and floss, brush and water floss in the morning and skip doing your hair. That will save time.”
It only takes one minute to floss, one minute to brush and one minute to water floss. That’s it. Three minutes to complete one of the single most important areas of your health, breath and smile. One of my teenage Face Lift Dentistry® patients simply would not do this. I saw her three years after the completion of the treatment and her gums were swollen. I repeated my recommendations — just as though I was giving her a “stock tip” rather than a lecture. Still, she wouldn’t follow my instructions. Five years passed and I saw her again. Once more, I repeated my “stock tip” pitch, reminding her of the tremendous benefits. On the next visit, she finally admitted, “I have been doing what you said and I noticed that my breath does not stink in the morning.”
Brush your gums and teeth at the same time. It’s important to place half of the toothbrush bristles on our gums and half on the tooth structure — at the gumline — and gently brush that area. We need to remove the “sticky biofilm” on the gums and teeth with the brush. Otherwise, bacteria will thrive there. One of my patients said, “My dentist told me not to brush my gums because it may cause recession.” My response is to gently brush your gums to break up the “biofilm” to prevent gum infections. Do not be so vigorous that you damage the gums. Red gums that are even a little bit swollen detract from a magnificient smile.
I do not recommend toothpicks, nor interproximal brushes. However, I am aware that many dentists do. My reasoning is too many people damage the papilla by forcing it down, causing a dark hole between our teeth. The papilla is the tiny piece of gum tissue that fits between our teeth. Patients who are too vigorous with toothpicks and interproximal brushes can smash the papilla, causing “black triangles” between our teeth that become food particle reservoirs. It is extremely unsightly when people use toothpicks during dinner and flash a smile. They don’t know how unattractive it is. In order to feel beautiful, you need to look the part and the gumline is a critical component to a natural smile.
Water Flossers are extremely enjoyable. With all of my Face Lift Dentistry® patients (which comprise 95% of my dental practice) I give them a complimentary portable water flosser that is charged with a USB plug. It travels easily and requires only a small space. And it keeps a charge for about a month. The patient receives complete instructions on how to use it — how to keep it moving and aim it directly at the gumline. The patients enjoy it, and results are incredible. The water flosser is your rinse cycle just like the dishwasher’s rinse cycle. You floss first, and then brush to break up the biofilm; then you flush it away with warm water. No wine, no mouthwash, no beer. Just water. That’s all you need. Your breath is pleasant, the gums heal, and the teeth remain white.

A myriad of people, political leaders, CEOs, affluent bachelors, and public speakers always have an audience. It could be an audience of one or millions, but they silently judge these individuals by their appearance. That includes judging them by how they look when they open their mouths to speak. Nonverbal attempts are judged, as well. When a person in a prominent position or an individual on a first day attempts to give a warm, winning smile. Marketing can be deceiving, as they have the masses believe that all it takes to clinch a deal or make a favorable impression is with a fancy car or a designer outfit. Some say the crowning act is to flash a mouthful of bulky porcelain veneers. To that, I answer with a resounding: No, it’s not. It’s having your lower jaw and chin in the most natural position, with a balanced facial profile and an optimized bite. Changes are powerful, whether subtle or transformational. One of my elderly patients said that, after her treatment, a close friend commented on how good she looked. However, she couldn’t pinpoint what had changed. My patient replied, “I changed hairdressers.” To that, her friend said, “Oh. That must be it.” This is the real magic of natural beauty and Face Lift Dentistry.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

When I was 18, I worked as a mechanic at a local gas station. One day, when my boss saw my car, he said bluntly, “You are an idiot! You waste your money on a fast car rather than owning the best car out there.” He refused to tell me the name of the car he was referring to; I had to solve that mystery on my own. I concluded it was a car that was not built for speed nor one that served as an “inadequacy eradicator.” It was a basic vehicle that provided a purpose without flash or ego — and without a high price tag that would cause sticker shock. It took a while, but I finally solved it. That eliminated one area of my life in which I was classified as an idiot! Recently, one of my affluent patients saw me driving my Chevy. The next time she was in the office, she said, “You should be driving a Mercedes.” I responded, “I only need to impress you in one place, and that is with the work that I deliver in this dental office.”

How can our readers follow you online?

www.FaceLiftDentistry.com

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

The Future Of Beauty: “New Technologies That Can Improve Our Smiles” With Dr. was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty: “Connect to hundreds of plastic surgeons and dermatologists from the safety…

The Future Of Beauty: “Connect to hundreds of plastic surgeons and dermatologists from the safety of your home”, With Tom Seery of RealSelf

Virtual Engagements and Technology. In just a few weeks, awareness and use of telehealth has mainstreamed. Solutions like virtual appointments are making it possible for consumers to meet with experts from home, at a time that is convenient for them. We’ve been forced to adopt this new technology in the current climate, but we’re also realizing there are big opportunities for the space — from patients being able to consult with multiple doctors without having to take time off of work, to doctors being able to check in on their patients from the comfort of their home. From work to personal and romantic relationships to professional counsel and support, we’re looking at virtual solutions through a different lens. Much like these other industries, the medical aesthetics world will be embracing virtual solutions in a much bigger way moving forward.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Seery the founder and CEO of RealSelf, the leading online resource to learn about aesthetic procedures and connect with the doctors who provide them. Tom founded RealSelf in 2006, after seeing a consumer need for transparency and unbiased information in the aesthetics industry.

Today, RealSelf attracts millions of unique visitors each month and facilitates millions of patient-doctor connections every year. Powered by a growing community of patients who share their personal experiences, industry experts committed to providing comprehensive, vetted information, and a network of verified doctors and providers, RealSelf helps people make smart, confident decisions about self-improvement.

Among his colleagues and employees, Tom is known for his connection to and advocacy for the consumer, as well as his strong relationships in the medical aesthetics community. He leads a team of executives who set strategy and operate the company, and spends significant time speaking to employees at all levels and functions.

Prior to RealSelf, Tom was an executive at Expedia, where he developed a private-label travel business, and was an early expert in search engine marketing long before Google was a household name. Tom sits on the board of ReSurge International, a nonprofit that is building reconstructive surgery capacity in developing countries. He holds a master’s of science from Drexel University, an MBA from the University of Washington, and a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College. He lives in Seattle with his wife and two energetic boys.

Thank you for joining us Tom! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

While working at Expedia, I saw firsthand the power of transparency and peer-to-peer reviews. Expedia brought disruption to travel in a way that no other business had, and I knew years before ever starting RealSelf that I wanted to do something similar for the health & beauty industry.

Then, in 2006 I was shown a brochure for a $1,500 laser skin treatment that made big promises about amazing results, and downplayed risk factors as well as important considerations like when can you return to work. I realized that medical aesthetics didn’t just lack transparency — the industry is also highly unregulated. That’s when the idea for RealSelf was born.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Not long after starting RealSelf I was connected to a woman who was very active in the industry and involved in patient education in particular. She asked if we could meet and flew from Chicago to Seattle to make that happen. At that meeting she delivered a very unexpected message — that it’s important I understand the power of RealSelf. She reminded me that tens of thousands of people are looking to us as they make critical decisions about their own bodies, and told me that I have a social responsibility to “do the right thing”.

I knew I was bringing transparency to an industry and providing people with important information, but that meeting humanized what we do at RealSelf and how we need to consistently do the right thing, above profits and any other agenda.

In 2008, RealSelf was sued in U.S. federal court by Lifestyle Lift, a company that sold a branded facelift on late night infomercials. A company thousands of times larger than us at the time, Lifestyle Lift was frustrated because reviews of their brand on RealSelf were trending negatively.

As founder and CEO of a young very lightly financed business, I felt a sense of panic after being served with the lawsuit paperwork. That changed when my board member Rich Barton explained to me that, “You’vebeen handed a gift,” and the lawsuit was a validation we were both disruptive and making a big difference in the world.

The quote “never allow a good crisis go to waste” is great advice for entrepreneurs, but it’s also within our power to frame a challenge to your business as a new opportunity.

Can you tell us about one of the “cutting edge” technologies you introduced? How will it help people?

At RealSelf, our goal is to use technology to make aesthetics decisions and purchases easy, personal and trusted. For instance, we are rapidly iterating on virtual solutions including a virtual consultation feature that makes it easy to find and schedule video-based appointments with doctors. Through the new search experience, consumers can connect from the comfort and safety of their home to over 1,200 plastic surgeons, dermatologists and medical providers who offer online consultations.

Looking ahead, we see a promising opportunity for patients and doctors to both make connections and maintain relationships virtually.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

As we’ve seen in the news around “Zoom bombing,” video connections only work when they are secure. That is especially important to our audience, which is exploring highly emotional and sensitive decisions about changing their body, their skin, or other aspects of their physical appearance. For that reason, privacy is a top concern among both patients and doctors. This is especially true for virtual consultations. While the Department of Health & Human Services announced last month that it will waive HIPAA penalties for good faith use of telemedicine, this should be seen by the industry and our company as a flashing yellow light to go forward cautiously and keep protecting patient privacy at the center of all decision making.

Can you share 2–3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

1-Virtual Engagements and Technology. In just a few weeks, awareness and use of telehealth has mainstreamed. Solutions like virtual appointments are making it possible for consumers to meet with experts from home, at a time that is convenient for them. We’ve been forced to adopt this new technology in the current climate, but we’re also realizing there are big opportunities for the space — from patients being able to consult with multiple doctors without having to take time off of work, to doctors being able to check in on their patients from the comfort of their home. From work to personal and romantic relationships to professional counsel and support, we’re looking at virtual solutions through a different lens. Much like these other industries, the medical aesthetics world will be embracing virtual solutions in a much bigger way moving forward.

2-Personalization and Customization. We’re starting to see brands in the medical aesthetics space embrace technology that helps them deliver more personalized solutions — from skincare treatments that use a patient’s own plasma to diagnostic tools that help identify an individual’s unique skin concerns. Doctors are also embracing tools like 3D imaging to help patients envision outcomes of procedures. As technology continues to improve and demand for individualized solutions grows among consumers, personalization and customization will be a point of differentiation for brands.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

1-Inclusivity and Diversity. From producing wider shade ranges for products to celebrating gender-neutral makeup, the color cosmetics world is embracing diversity and inclusiveness, but medical aesthetics is largely lagging behind. We’re starting to see more diversity in marketing and increased conversations around acceptance, but there is still a ways to go. Furthermore, there is a pretty significant gender gap in the industry: only about 15% of plastic surgeons are women. That has started to improve as more women enter plastic surgery training programs, but considering that the vast majority of plastic surgery patients are women, the industry still has a lot of room for adapting to the needs and sentiment of the market.

2-Safety. Cosmetic treatments are more accessible than ever before. However, it’s important to remember that these are still medical procedures and they warrant serious consideration and research. RealSelf is committed to making sure consumers have access to the complete picture — like the pros and the potential side effects of a treatment, and transparent information about the doctors performing them. Last year we launched a program called RealSelf Verified, which recognizes doctors who meet high standards of trust and transparency. In order to become Verified, doctors must be in good medical standing with board certifications and medical licensing, have high patient satisfaction ratings, and demonstrate a commitment to patient education.

3-Influence vs. Expertise. Social media gives people a voice and as a result, can help foster important conversations. However, there is rising concern about the level of expertise that social media influence can convey. Storytelling and personal recommendations are useful, but shouldn’t be prioritized over the advice of a credentialed professional.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Governments around the world appear to be shifting inward and away from globalism. As a lover of travel and beneficiary of exploring cultures around the world, I truly believe that we need to rise above politics and tap into our human nature to seek connection and help one another live a better life. The movement I’ve sought to inspire with those who know me, and the community on RealSelf, is to forge connections and make it a norm to give back. The best part about connection and giving back is that it fills your heart and keeps you centered on what truly matters.

The Future Of Beauty: “Connect to hundreds of plastic surgeons and dermatologists from the safety… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Mona Munayyer Gonzalez of Pereira O’Dell: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome”

I had thought that experience made you feel like you belong, but I now think it’s the opposite. The more rooms you’re in, the more talented people you meet, the bigger the world gets, the feeling gets deeper. But with that, you learn how to better manage it and remember why your unique story deserves to get told.

As a part of our series about how very accomplished leaders can succeed despite experiencing imposter syndrome, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mona Munayyer Gonzalez, Managing Director, New York at independent, bicoastal creative agency Pereira O’Dell.

Mona seeks to create an environment that inspires people to build the ad agency they always wished existed. Her nearly 15 years of brand management expertise began in global creative networks and sharpened in boutique innovation and brand content-led shops. This blend of agency experience led to a deep knowledge of brand-building and passion for leading teams who believe creative storytelling is the way to do it. Prior to Pereira O’Dell, Mona oversaw iconic brands in CPG, spirits, luxury, hospitality and technology at JWT, BBDO and The Barbarian Group.

Within and beyond the advertising industry, Mona remains committed to creating a better world. She sits on the board of Fearless Beauty, a non-profit organization that empowers women impacted by institutional and social injustice through cosmetology education and beauty industry mentorship, and serves as a member of Chief, a network built to drive more women into positions of power and keep them there. Currently, Mona lives with her husband and daughter in Montclair, NJ.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a bit about your backstory so our readers can get to know you a bit better?

I’m a second generation Arab-American raised by parents who immigrated to the US over 45 years ago. Talk about differences in generations. They both worked over 40 years at the same U.S. pharmaceutical company, my dad a formulation pharmacist and my mom a molecular microbiologist. But their real passion lied in the non-profit organization they formed upon moving to the states that promoted awareness and understanding of Palestinian heritage. My culture played a huge role in my upbringing. I always wondered how the daughter of two scientists ended up in advertising. In hindsight, I was always surrounded by this blend of arts and science, and, above all, storytelling to preserve a culture.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? What lessons or takeaways did you learn from that?

On my first day in advertising, a director warned me of another colleague who had a reputation for upsetting people. If I had to cry, do it in the bathroom. How disappointing that one of my first memories was getting told: “Hey, there are jerks here, and not only is that understood and accepted, but the expectation is that you enable it too by hiding your hurt.” Was that his intention in warning me? I don’t think so. I actually think he was trying to do me a favor. But those small, seemingly nothing moments can culminate to form a powerful dynamic in this industry that I knew I’d never be comfortable with. Over the years, I realized I could either accept the realities given to me and know I’d never be happy, or fight to find the good people who believed a better version of this industry existed.

What do you think makes your company stand out?

The energy of the co-founders, Andrew and PJ. They give life to the agency in completely different ways. Andrew is an outgoing, wildly optimistic Tennessean, and PJ is an incredibly passionate Brazilian with a thoughtful creative mind. I met them at a time when, frankly, I had had enough of the ad industry and the egos and inauthenticity that came with it. Then, I met these co-founders who, beyond having enough drive to turn the industry on its head, were decent, good humans. The humanity starts with them and is true of the agency. There is a goodness in the people here that I am equally thankful for and protective of.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who played a crucial role in helping get you to where you are?

My team at my first job at JWT NY. I was as green as you could get, but they saw potential in me and fought to get me into rooms that no Account Executive would normally be in. Every leader in that group had a totally different personality, but it worked, and we looked out for each other. They embodied this leadership quality that I was so grateful for: pushing you into the unknown to see what you’re capable of, while still being supportive in the background.

Thank you for that. Now, shifting to our main focus here, how would you define Impostor Syndrome? What do people with Imposter Syndrome feel?

Unfair insecurity.

What are the downsides of Impostor Syndrome? How can it limit people?

Moving forward means focusing on what matters and drowning out the rest of the noise. Imposter Syndrome materializes for me as noise. It badgers me until I feel too defeated to move forward.

How can the experience of Impostor Syndrome impact how one treats others?

Imposter Syndrome is an inherently selfish experience. “I can’t do it.” “I’m not qualified.” “They’re going to find me out.” Someone once told me you make decisions either out of fear or love. If you’re acting out of fear and insecurity, chances are, you’re not treating others with the empathy they deserve.

We would love to hear your story about your experience with Impostor Syndrome. Would you be able to share that with us?

I’ve realized that it doesn’t go away with more years of experience. I had thought that experience made you feel like you belong, but I now think it’s the opposite. The more rooms you’re in, the more talented people you meet, the bigger the world gets, the feeling gets deeper. But with that, you learn how to better manage it and remember why your unique story deserves to get told.

Did you ever shake the feeling off? If yes, what have you done to mitigate it or eliminate it?

My daughter has become my antidote. She’s at the age where she really believes I’m the funniest, coolest person in the world. I’ve never experienced anything like it, just pure joy and happiness that you exist. There will be a day where that will change and she’ll realize that I’m really not that funny, but I won’t forget this feeling.

In your opinion, what are five steps that someone who is experiencing Impostor Syndrome can take to move forward despite that feeling?

There are five people that I call when I’m feeling not good enough, who puff me up when I’m a little deflated.

The straight shooter. This person has no problem calling you out for unfairly holding yourself back and injects some confidence into your thinking. Not into sugarcoating.
The eternal optimist. Someone to point out the silver linings in the rainbow of life. Definitely into sugarcoating. Sometimes that’s okay.
The thoughtful listener. Gentle and rationale. No judgement. Your free therapist.
The wise owl. Draws from their life experience to make you feel like if they can do it, so can you.
My mom. Or whoever loves you unconditionally. They believe you are the best thing in the world, and everyone else can go jump in a lake.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why?

Ina Garten. She built her career in politics and now works as a celebrity chef. She must have some good stories.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can follow me on LinkedIn.

Thank you for joining us! This conversation was very inspiring.

Mona Munayyer Gonzalez of Pereira O’Dell: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Carine Vloemans: Let’s use technology only in order to make life easier without giving away our…

Carine Vloemans: Let’s use technology only in order to make life easier without giving away our humanity and spirit which make humans so unique

If I would inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most people, it would be to use technology only in order to make life easier for people without giving away their humanity and their spirit which make humans so unique! We definitely don’t want to end up as empty shells, robots or zombies who gave their power away to technology and inbuilt chips etc.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs Carine Vloemans.

Mrs. Carine Vloemans is a gifted, acknowledged, holistic, physical therapist with over 30 years experience in physiotherapy, acupuncture, manual therapy, body & facial massage, energy treatments like Reiki, Etheric Body Treatment etc. She works in her own practice: IASIS center for physiotherapy & alternative therapies, Kalamaria/ Thessaloniki, Greece. She also is a teacher and mentor in her field. Her mission is to help every client to feel great and healthy again, with ease and grace.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I choose to have this career path because I want to offer health and wellness with ease and grace.

In order to have a wider range of clientele than only patients with health issues, I specialised also in natural cosmetic rejuvenating modalities like Rejuvance and facial /head massage and cosmetic acupuncture.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting story that happened to me since I started with the cosmetic modalities is the following.

An acquaintance came to me for the series of 6 sessions of Rejuvance facial massage.

I wondered if we could see a rejuvenating effect on her. Although she was 60 years old she had a very tight facial skin without lines or wrinkles,due to a slight obesity and a very healthy lifestyle. She had no health issues at all.

I did my very best, but personally I saw no visible results. I didn’t tell her this, I kept my opinion to myself.

After the last session she shared with me that for the first time in her life she loved herself! She said if somebody works on me with so much love, care and detail, I AM LOVABLE! She meant she loved both her outer appearance as well as her person.

For me this was the most appreciated result in fact I can get!

A major tipping point in my career was the moment I stepped on a new life path, following my inner voice and passion. I left my steady job in the Netherlands when I was only 27 years old, to start a life on the island of Crete, Greece. I opened my own practice in an apartment on the beachfront of Ierapetra. From that moment on, I attracted all kinds of interesting twists and turns in life and work. It gave me a happy and successful life to this day now in Northern Greece.

Success is inside of you and reflects itself in your outer life. I followed my inner passion which still gives me the drive while showing me too the path to follow.

There is not so much one particular helpful person to whom I am grateful. The first thing that comes to my mind is my inner voice, I am very grateful to my inner voice to lead me on my path!

The second one in fact is a particular person that appeared and disappeared in my life just like that, in only two days. This is a nice story. I was not even a week in Greece when my belongings arrived from the Netherlands in 1989. In those days it was very difficult to bring belongings into the country. You had to have detailed lists of the contents of your goods.The lists needed to have all kinds of stamps and seals from authorities.

My goods were at the customs, waiting for me to “bail” them out. I asked my brand new neighbours, in my broken Greek language, how do people transport here: where to rent a truck? They answered that you have to ask a private truck owner to help you out. They intermediated for me. Well, next morning there was a short skinny older man ringing my doorbell! He drove me 100km with his truck to collect my belongings at the customs office .

To make a long story short: he saved me from a nasty female clerk who did her best to make my life difficult! He defended me with his thoughtful ideas, and also pleaded for me that I was a foreigner who would bring new ideas to the healthcare system for the island. I was impressed by his passionate plea! The result was that I had to take the bus back home, to get another paper done. The next day he picked me up again and everything resolved itself smoothly, without bribes, and I had to pay the truck driver for only one drive!

I never met the driver again, although he lived in the same small city. He appeared and disappeared as if he was an angel in disguise! Everytime something looks difficult to me in life, I remember this story, with the feeling of trust that something or someone will pop up, right when I need it.

My “cutting” edge technology is the natural & human approach technology, Rejuvance massage! I also teach Rejuvance and it is available as an online massage course.

This massage modality is a series of 6 very subtle massage treatments in the area of the face, scalp, neck and decollete and aims for both a rejuvenating lifting result as well as general relaxation. Rejuvance is also called the bioenergetic fingertip facelift massage.

The frequency of the sessions is once, twice or three times per week and the clients are stimulated to drink at least 2 liters of water per day after each session, in order to stimulate a proper replenishing of lymph in the head area.

After the Rejuvance, people feel real good about themselves and look fresher and younger with a good skin quality and with more symmetry of the face.This all happens without ANY nasty side effects. You are the best version of yourself.

The second “technology” I use is facial cosmetic acupuncture!

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Rejuvance facial massage has no drawbacks

The other beauty technologies certainly have potential drawbacks.

As an exception on the drawbacks of course I need to mention therapy and operations after cosmetic deformation due to accidents,diseases or burns for example. If the gain is more important than the drawbacks it is easier to decide for surgery, injections or other therapies.

We have to think about the following concerning drawbacks.

By paralysing muscles using botox or surgical facejobs people change their facial communication with others. In communication, the most extensive information exchange is the unconsciously reading of the face and the body language. When the face is distorted and partially paralysed this communication is impaired! It is difficult to relate with others like this!

Another drawback is a short term side effect like rashes and bruises which makes you unable to appear in public for a while.

Also a long term drawback is a change in the face that you don’t like, or a change that does not fit with you anymore after 10 years.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

I am excited for people who have a medical need for plastic surgery or secondly for other improvements like a beautiful artificial working limb after losing the physical limb for some reason.

My third excitement though, is a negative excitement concerning the “beauty-tech” industry. I explain this further on.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

The 3 things that concern me most about the industry are the following.

The impaired facial communication is a result of the beauty-tech and therefore creates an inability for making relationships.
People are not accepting themselves as they are, do not gain a healthy self esteem because they keep on searching for plastic solutions.
There can be nasty side effects like rashes, bruises, infections and distortions of the face.,

My 3 ways to improve the beauty industries are the following.

Re-valuing the human touch by massage.
Creating more 100% natural shampoos, creams, lotions and serums, to avoid the hormone disruptors that are contained in the conventional products.
Supporting people by boosting their self esteem, just as they are.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”?

Allow your beauty to surface by eating healthy without feeling punished by lack of certain foods. Drink 2 liters of water per day
Be careful with smoking, alcohol, and excessive coffee intake.
Sleep enough to allow the body to rejuvenate itself. Enjoy nature and breathe fresh air!
Don’t strive to look like a doll or robot: who wants a doll or robot as a best friend? Be an authentic real person!
Use all natural products, not tested on animals. This way you give value to nature and value to yourself! Receive a massage or offer yourself a massage as the ultimate expression of self-love.

If you choose and follow this suggested lifestyle you feel beautiful, balanced and your self esteem will show in your face and posture. Your walk is youthful and has an attractive bounce to it. That is real beauty by wisdom! You don’t have to be bashful about your appearance when you are without make up ever anymore! I suggest trying it for one month to decide for yourself.

If I would inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most people, it would be to use technology only in order to make life easier for people without giving away their humanity and their spirit which make the humans so unique! We definitely don’t want to end up as empty shells, robots or zombies who gave their power away to technology and inbuilt chips etc.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“The body is not there to end up in the coffin as a beauty.

The body is there to serve as a vehicle, as a means to experience life to the fullest!”

It is relevant to me because I “service” my body to be able to experience a lot more in life. I look back on traces and scars on the body the same as I look back in my photo albums from the past!

How can our readers follow you online?

Concerning the online Rejuvance massage course the readers can find me on www.qicarine.com ( & FB : Rejuvance online course)

In general the readers that want to follow me can find me on Facebook & Linkedin as Carine Vloemans or on my sites www.physioalternative.com and www.resetyourrhythm.com

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

Carine Vloemans: Let’s use technology only in order to make life easier without giving away our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Influencer Cait Curley: Why I choose to focus on all that is going right in the world today

…I also try to focus on positivity and all that is going right in the world vs. highlighting the negative. I try to be conscious of not just discussing issues, but also providing solutions.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Cait Curley.

Cait is an educator, entrepreneur, social media influencer, marketing specialist, and content creator with a passion for all things hemp and cannabis. She stays informed and up to date with the industry’s most heart wrenching stories, as well as the progress of the biggest movers and shakers. Cait was so intent on pursuing her work within the cannabis arena, that she uprooted her life and moved from New York to cannabis-centric Denver. After obtaining a health sciences degree and spending years of dedication in healthcare and client relations, she has navigated the underground cannabis world, while seeking to utilize her connections to educate the masses, represent a shift in culture and motivate continued progress within the community. Living in the forefront of the movement to end cannabis prohibition, fostering both B2B and B2C partnerships and connections inside the industry, Cait’s passion also extends to developing her own entrepreneurial investments and pursuits.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Before I moved to Colorado five years ago, I lived in upstate New York and was very alone in the sense of cannabis advocacy. I had been passionate about the plant for over 10 years and had a strong desire to connect more deeply with people that related to it, so I simply decided to drop everything and move to the epi-center of cannabis.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

I would say something that was astonishing, at the time, was being at an event years ago where someone handed me a hemp business card. I was like “this is cool, is it really made from hemp?” I was blown away not only by the ability of the plant to do many things but the people who were there advocating for those endless possibilities.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

To be honest, none of the mistakes I made when I first started were funny. I learned many lessons and none of them were easy.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

I use social media as a platform to educate and advocate cannabis and all of the good connected to it. I create art through photos and videos and then tell a story or give facts on the cannabis plant and sustainability. I also try to focus on positivity and all that is going right in the world vs. highlighting the negative. I try to be conscious of not just discussing issues, but also providing solutions.

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

A woman reached out to me via messenger one day, and told me that her husband had recently died. She said it was really difficult for her to get out of bed most days and it was hard for her to want to live on. There was a specific quote I had put out that day that made her want to get up and fight for her and her family’s happiness. That touched me so deeply. It affirmed that what I was doing was working.

Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

Well, I do focus on industrial hemp more than any other area in cannabis. When I began to do so, I also became aware of how badly it was needed. There is a huge lack of industrial hemp education and all of the products that this plant can replace, supplement or improve. Once I started learning more on all of the potential benefits of true industrialized hemp commercialization, I committed 111% to join the revolution.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

Force social media and internet platforms to allow for hemp and cannabis companies to promote products and services like any other legal industry because #HempIsLegal
Force all banks and financial institutions to allow for hemp and cannabis companies to bank their business like any other legal industry because #HempIsLegal
Force all governments to recognize hemp and cannabis for what it is, a benefit to humankind and encourage it to be a central part of society.

What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?

For me, I promote what I am passionate about and what I believe in through the social channels I am involved with. I encourage everyone in the advocacy and promotion space to do the same — promote what you believe in!

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

It can be difficult for some individuals to welcome young and new people into the space. Don’t mind them. I have been personally attacked by certain individuals and the reasoning always comes down to their own fear, lack of understanding, and sanity.
Remember that you are honoring the plant. You don’t owe anyone anything and you don’t need to bow to anyone.
Never doubt your connection to the plant. It doesn’t matter where you or your admiration for the plant came from.
It’s not going to be easy fighting against a force such as the government.
Don’t speak it or believe it until a contract is signed.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

The global adoption and commercialization of all that cannabis and hemp can do to benefit the world.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Be kind.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Elon Musk. He seems to be someone that is open and willing to experiment with best options for the planet. He smoked weed with Joe Rogan which was pretty cool, too.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook- @caitcurley

Instagram- @cait_curley

LinkedIn- @caitcurley

YouTube- @caitcurley

Twitter- @caitcurley_

This was very meaningful, thank you so much

Thank you! Grateful for the opportunity!

Influencer Cait Curley: Why I choose to focus on all that is going right in the world today was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Gwen Jimmere of Naturalicious: “The number one idea I would suggest to feel beautiful is find what…

Gwen Jimmere of Naturalicious: “The number one idea I would suggest to feel beautiful is find what helps you boost your confidence level”

The number one idea I would suggest to feel beautiful is find what helps you boost your confidence level. Confidence is sexy, it’s bold and it’s attractive. Do things that make you feel sexy. Personally, I attend a twerk dance fitness class 3x a week. When I’m in that element, you can’t tell me a thing! Do whatever that “thing” is for you that makes you feel powerful and unstoppable.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Gwen Jimmere of Naturalicious.

Naturalicious is an organic, all-natural hair care brand with products for women with curly hair, with a focus on women of color with natural kinky or curly hair with a mission to eliminate the frustration, time and expense that can come with hair maintenance. As the first African American woman to own a patent for natural hair products founder and CEO Gwen Jimmere is a true trailblazer. Having started her company after getting laid off, going through a divorce with a young child, she created and grew Naturalicious out of the ashes of her life and from the ground up. 13 employees later with a growing brand, she is now managing her small empire remotely all while raising and educating her 8 year old son. Naturalicious is sold in hundreds of stores nationwide including Whole Foods and Sallys. Above all else, Gwen wants women to feel beauty as they are. Naturalicious exists to enhance the beauty that’s already there and give you more time for the things that matter most.

Thank you for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

After being laid off from my job at Ford Motor Co, my life quickly started to spiral downward. But there was one night that gave me the idea of what is now a multi-million dollar company. I was watching a movie that was produced by Chris Rock named Good Hair and there was a scene where a can was dropped in a tub of hair relaxer. The can completely disintegrated! Being pregnant with my son added to my fear that if this chemical was able to disintegrate a metal can, it had to be highly damaging to my unborn baby, and even to me.. In many ways you could say I was frightened into my destiny. That’s when I began

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I was once on a Delta flight, and one of the flight attendants kept walking past me, staring at me. This was a 4 hour flight, and this went on for about half of the time. So for 2 whole hours she was walking back and forth, staring at me as she passed. My mind was racing as to why she was looking at me specifically. I wondered if maybe I had accidentally sat in someone else’s seat or something. After a while of this, she finally stopped and asked me, “Is your name Gwen?” Of course I responded with “Yes”, but at that point I was super confused. How did she know my name? Then she said, “Do you own Naturalicious?” And of course, I said, Yes!”. She immediately got excited and said “I’m a Claymate! I’m in the Naturalicious Nation! I’m so excited to meet you!” When the flight was over, I waited for everyone else to get off the plane so she and I could talk for a while. We ended up making a video and going live for my tribe of customers. And I even sent her a gift in the mail. It’s always an awesome surprise to meet customers out and about, and they actually know who I am. I’m such a low-key person, it usually shocks me when someone recognizes me out and about, but it actually happens pretty often.

I started being more visibly present to my customers. I started showing up more as the face of the company and the expert of my industry. I no longer wanted to hide behind the brand. The tipping point came when my customers realized that I cared about the health of their hair and that I cared about them as people, not just dollars. I really strive to build emotional connections with every one of them, not just transactional ones. Maya Angelou said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

The people who are game changers for me. Is my mother and my partner Michael. When times were toughest they were both there every step of the way and helped in more ways than I count. The successes I have had only could have been accomplished by her tough love and teaching.

Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

Right now we are working on a brand new business model concept for the textured hair industry. We are still refining it, so I can’t spill too many beans right now. But it’s definitely a disruptive game changer and I’m incredibly excited about it.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

I think there could be drawbacks. But both Black Mirror and Law of Unintended Consequences both share the commonality of the unforeseen future that could punish our actions and people should deeply think about. It just goes back to the principal of thinking before your actions, to calculate your actions to see the end result.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

Augmented reality excites me. The possibility of customers being able to see how they’ll look before they buy makes for better business for everyone. That means less confusion, less returns, more customer satisfaction, increased happiness all around.

Smart mirrors and customized products for face and hair are exciting as well. We are rapidly moving toward a hyper-personalized society and everyone wants something made just for them

Speaking of personalized products, we are seeing makeup companies begin to develop at-home tools that custom blend makeup colors and foundations for consumers, on demand. And exciting innovation will be the same thing created for hair care.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

One is “fake inclusivity”. Many brands are including “natural hair” but it’s still the “socially acceptable” version of natural hair. The loose curly textures that are closer to the universally accepted standard of beauty is what we usually see when they’re talking about being inclusive. Rarely do we see images of coarse, kinky, highly textured hair in all its gorgeous glory. If you’re going to be inclusive, be completely inclusive. Don’t just check a box to say you did it.

The other thing that grinds my gears is the plethora of half truths, incomplete information and just straight up falsified details when it comes to beauty overall. There are so many people giving “expert” information and they’re not experts at all. They make very definitive statements, which consumers believe. This then leads people to be utterly confused my so much conflicting info all over the web.

The last thing that concerns me is that so many companies are selling snake oil to customers with promises of “miracles in a bottle.” This makes the customer jaded and frightened to try other products. Who wants to keep spending money and time on something when so many others like it have fooled them over and over again? By the time they get to a legitimate company, like Naturalicious, we have to undo so much of the damage the customer has suffered that it makes serving them even harder because they’re scared to even try something new to them.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

The number one idea I would suggest to feel beautiful is find what helps you boost your confidence level. Confidence is sexy, it’s bold and it’s attractive. Do things that make you feel sexy. Personally, I attend a twerk dance fitness class 3x a week. When I’m in that element, you can’t tell me a thing! Do whatever that “thing” is for you that makes you feel powerful and unstoppable.

Next, understand that beauty is not vanity. It’s a foundational element for how we show up in the world. When you feel gorgeous, you show up differently. There’s a different sway in your swagger. You stand up taller. You own more of the room. You are less apologetic for being you. You deserve and are worthy of all of this.

Third, stop wishing you had someone else’s hair, face, or body. You were created in divine order and you are absolutely perfect. There is nothing about you that you need to fix. Buy from brands that exist to support your glow and help you shine brighter, like Naturalicious.T Truth be told, the people who you are envying very likely have their own set of insecurities.

Fourth, get up, get dressed and show up for yourself every day. Put in the time and effort to make yourself look beautiful for you. This is not about looking great for your partner or for any one else. Personally, I can go without a face full of makeup but I have to fill my eyebrows in. It makes me feel pretty, so I do it, even if there’s nothing else on my face. It’s easy and comfy to walk around in leggings and big sweats every day. But the moment you get the energy to truly get dressed in something you feel pretty in — even if it’s just jeans and a cute blouse — your whole mood will immediately change.

Lastly, self care is not selfish. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Take care of you and let everyone else benefit from your overflow. It’s impossible to be at 100% for everyone if you’re not at 100% for yourself.

Personally I would definitely lead the eradication of domestic abuse. I was a victim and it can be traumatizing. 1 out of 7 women in America are victims of domestic violence. And 1 out of 16 men also report domestic violence. I will never understand it. Violence literally has no upside. I often hear people assume that victims are “stupid”, “dumb”, or “weak” when that’s not the case. The vast majority of abusers also control the finances of the household. It’s almost impossible, as an abuse victim, to completely leave a situation such as this and pull yourself up by your bootstraps when you have no money to do so. When we can begin to empower abuse victims with financial literacy, and actual funding to care for themselves and their children independent of their abusers, that’s when we will see a drop is such cases.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Speak what you seek until you see what you’ve said.” I completely believe in the law of attraction. I’m a living testimony that when you speak what you want, and truly believe it is not out of reach for you, the desires of your heart will manifest. But it’s not enough to just speak it, you have to believe you’re worthy of it. And when you do that frequently and consistently, nothing is out of your reach.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can reach us at Naturalicious.net. On Instagram we are @naturalicious_beauty and on Facebook, we are at facebook.com/naturalicious.

Gwen Jimmere of Naturalicious: “The number one idea I would suggest to feel beautiful is find what… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Chirag Pancholi of JennyLife: Five Things We Can Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap

…We are committed to ending the gender wage gap. To that end, our pay scale and offer letters for compensation are gender agnostic. We have instituted a continuation salary review model that eliminates the gender biases in compensation reviews.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Chirag Pancholi a veteran insurance industry executive who has been involved in the industry for more than 12 years.

Currently, he is the co-founder of JennyLife, mobile-first life insurance provider geared to providing financial security for families. Prior to Jenny Life, Pancholi served as strategy officer at Asurion, the world’s largest handset insurance provider. During his tenure at Goldman Sachs, he was the central banker with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors under Chairman Alan Greenspan. He holds a MBA, Strategy from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a masters of public policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the University of Maryland.

Thank you for joining us! Can you tell us the “backstory” that brought you to this career path?

My backstory into entrepreneurship is pretty circuitous. As an immigrant child, I was admonished to work hard in school and get a good job at a big company. I followed that track, and was miserable, but doing well. Shortly after several company moves, I was recruited to help grow a cell phone insurance company called Asurion based in California — which turned out to be an incredible learning experience. Through Asurion, I witnessed how rewarding it was to help fix people’s lives via insurance. That journey inspired me to try my hand at entrepreneurship and launch me into a new chapter. I have not looked back since.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

I’ll admit, there are many interesting stories in the early start-up days, but there is one that really stands out to me. It all started while couchsurfing at my friends place — some couches more comfortable than others. There were always those stories in the back of my mind, penniless entrepreneurs working all day and night, couchsurfing to focus on their vision and execution of their company — I never thought I would wind up being in those stories.

It seemed as though everything happened all at once, my first child was born, I launched my first company, and it was the beginning of the Great Recession. My wife and I decided this was the time to start saving money, and thought it was best for her and our newborn to live with her parents, while I stayed in California. With nowhere to live and no desk, I found myself working 14 hours plus at the Hacker Dojo, a community of founders in Mountain View, Calif., eat where I could at sponsored events, and sleep on innumerable friends’ couches.

While at times disheartening, the focus and drive to build something special pushed me to overcome the fear of being judged by peers and the skeptical eye of my parents.

Can you share a story about the funniest or most interesting mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

If there was a picture book about common mistakes while starting a company, there would be a picture of me on every page. For this instance, I wasn’t focused on the product solution like I should have been and instead I overspent on buying high quality “cool-looking” t-shirts featuring the company logo. At the time, I was under the impression that getting t-shirts was the first step to entrepreneurship. At the end of the day, I had a lot of t-shirts and no website — lessons were definitely learned.

Even in 2019, women still earn about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. Can you explain three of the main factors that are causing the wage gap?

This is the heartbreaking truth about pay inequality and it’s unacceptable. We salute companies like Salesforce and Glassdoor for their work not only raising awareness around this crucial area but also taking steps to fix the problem. At Jenny Life, we believe there are three main factors that perpetuate the wage gap:

Lack of Salary Transparency — While not a cure-all for pay inequity, it is an important first step. When wages are transparent, it’s harder to hide the discrepancies.
Equitable Offers — Making equitable offers to certain groups of employees, such as women and older workers, are less likely to negotiate — accommodate for that by offering salaries that more closely reflect what the positions are worth, eliminating a reliance on negotiation to achieve a fair salary.
Paid Parental Leave: Paid family leave promotes gender equality, as it takes into account the importance of both parents’ time with children during those paramount early months after birth.

Can you share with our readers what your work is doing to help close the gender wage gap?

At Jenny Life, we are committed to ending the gender wage gap. To that end, our pay scale and offer letters for compensation are gender agnostic. We have instituted a continuation salary review model that eliminates the gender biases in compensation reviews.

Can you recommend 5 things that need to be done on a broader societal level to close the gender wage gap. Please share a story or example for each.

As a business owner and entrepreneur, I believe it is more important than ever to implement changes on companies board of directors, to get new and encouraging voices to the table. Additionally, it’s pivotal for business owners, and leaders to start creating transparency within their companies messaging and allow for voices to be heard — even when disagreements arise. As more companies become driving forces for change, women and overlooked communities will have a better chance of success, and closing the gender wage gap. Lastly, I think it’s important to educate women on different leadership opportunities at companies, no one knows what they’re capable of if they never heard it was reachable.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I’d love to see a movement around the importance of parenting. In my opinion, parenting is probably one of the hardest jobs an individual will undertake, but also the one for which the least amount of training and preparation is provided — parenting can be an emotional rollercoaster. There are many emotions a parent feels while raising a child, anxiety over their child’s vulnerability, anger when they refuse to cooperate, guilt when they struggle, a sense of loss as they grow up. Empowering parents by teaching positive parenting techniques is one way to help people understand what they’re in for and how to help them along the way. Parenting programs such as The Incredible Years in Norway, are one of most effective ways to promote positive parenting — a strategy that encourages mutual respect, creativity, realistic expectations and self-care as a parent. Areas of focus could be around caring for infants, nutrition, education for young children and more.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

A saying that always sticks with me, “treat everyone as if they were your janitor or surgeon,” it’s a great example of how we are all tied together, no matter their title.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

There are many incredible entrepreneurs in the world that inspire me everyday, however, if I were to choose one it would be the founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely. She disrupted an industry that overlooked the importance of comfort in women’s style and built a company based on that principle — women’s self confidence. I would love to sit down with Sara to talk about how she drove Spanx’s success in a time when web/mobile was not society’s foundation.

Chirag Pancholi of JennyLife: Five Things We Can Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Jennifer Yen of Purlisse and YENSA Beauty: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap

Currently we are in midst of a global pandemic crisis, the entire world is shut down, businesses shuttering everyday and 6.6 million people in America filed for unemployment. The lesson here is it would have been easier to manage 2 months ago before it got more difficult. And for an entrepreneur, working with a lean team, creating under constraints and having a healthy balance sheet when times are good prepares you for difficult times like this.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Yen, founder of Purlisse and YENSA Beauty. Jennifer started her career on the hit TV Show POWER RANGERS and now she saves complexions with her award winning beauty line, Purlisse. Jennifer Yen is a single mom who has a goal: to share the Asian Beauty Secrets that cleared up her skin while she was a Power Ranger; the show destroyed her skin! Now women can fall in love with their skin again from tried and true Asian remedies that date back 1000s of years. Going back to her roots and her Grandmother’s Asian beauty secrets, Jennifer was able to improve her skin and her confidence.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us the “backstory” that brought you to this career path?

My path to becoming a CEO is an unconventional one. I’m a former TV villainess. I used to fight Power Rangers on TV and spending 15 hours a day with heavy makeup on, under bright lights really wrecked my skin. I tried absolutely everything to restore my complexion but nothing worked. That’s when I rediscovered my grandmother’s Asian beauty rituals, and immediately saw a difference in my skin. I was determined to bring these rituals to everyone around the world, so I created Purlisse.

However, after giving birth to my daughter, I was again faced with troubled skin. My mother insisted that I participate in “Zuo Zue Zi”, a 2000 year old tradition in Chinese Medicine where a new mother sits out a month right after birth, in order to rest and heal her body by integrating superfoods into their daily routine. This inspired me to start my second brand, YENSA.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

Life and work challenges never get easier, you just get better.

Can you share a story about the funniest or most interesting mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I thought building my own business was going to be so much easier. Having survived the great recession and now going into the great pandemic, 2 lessons stand out:

Solid, steady and sustainable businesses win the race.
Do more with less and create under constraints.

Ok let’s jump to the main focus of our interview. Even in 2019, women still earn about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. Can you explain three of the main factors that are causing the wage gap?

1. Women are forced to take time off from work when they become mothers because there is not enough infrastructure to care for children.

2. Women hold less executive positions.

3. There are not enough women investors investing in women led companies.

Can you share with our readers what your work is doing to help close the gender wage gap?

I am a woman, creating beauty products for women, therefore we have an all women team. This is not to say that we wouldn’t hire men. Right now, we only have a team of talented and passionate women. In addition, most of our contractors such as our marketing agency, PR and others are also women led. I hope we are doing our part to close the gender wage gap.

Can you recommend 5 things that need to be done on a broader societal level to close the gender wage gap. Please share a story or example for each.

1. In a relationship, partnership or marriage, when both partners are working, the childcare, the household chores, cooking, errands, grocery shopping, cleaning etc should be shared by both partners.
2. More infrastructure for childcare that enables women to work and stay in the workforce.
3. Advice and mentorship from other women who have been able to raise children while continuing to work.
4. Have more women executives and more women in leadership positions.
5. For every man a company hires, hire a woman.

I would strive to continuously empower, promote and enable women’s economic independence.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Anticipate the Difficult by Managing the Easy” — Lao Tzu

Currently we are in midst of a global pandemic crisis, the entire world is shut down, businesses shuttering everyday and 6.6 million people in America filed for unemployment. The lesson here is it would have been easier to manage 2 months ago before it got more difficult. And for an entrepreneur, working with a lean team, creating under constraints and having a healthy balance sheet when times are good prepares you for difficult times like this.

I admire Sara Blakely, she is self-made, passionate and believed in her mission and product and self-financed her company. Her company was born out of her own personal pain and her brand and company is authentic.

This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.

Jennifer Yen of Purlisse and YENSA Beauty: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Hairstylist Paul Labrecque: Don’t over-process or overdo, then you will only look good when someone

Hairstylist Paul Labrecque: Don’t over-process or overdo, then you will only look good when someone else has primped you

Keep your approach simple;

Have attainable goals that you can recreate;

Keep your style as natural as possible;

Don’t over-process or overdo, then you will only look good when someone else has primped you;

Wear your style, don’t let your style wear you;

And have done only what you can afford to keep up

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Hairstylist Paul Labrecque.

Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa was founded by Paul Labrecque in 1988 with a simple passion for beauty and fashion. This passion grew as Paul soon realized the power of beauty and how making people feel and look their best could truly change lives in so many ways. At this point he knew this is what he wanted to do in life and his entrepreneurial spirit took over. What started as a 2-seat boutique salon on the Upper Westside neighborhood of New York has grown into a highly successful full-service salon and skincare spa in Manhattan at the chic CORE: club, another full-service location at The Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach, Florida, and another location in downtown Philadelphia at The Rittenhouse Hotel. Paul has also created an award-winning line of hair care products, a thriving retail and e commerce business and a highly regarded education center for young stylists in training.

Selected as one of Vanity Fair magazine’s “Top 3 Stylists” in the USA, Paul quickly became recognized as one of New York City’s go-to salons. Paul prides himself with a focus on excellent customer service, personal attention and the best in beauty services. His natural penchant for carefree cuts, innovative techniques and custom-blended color has resulted in a loyal and dedicated following. His one-of-a-kind engaging personality combined with his creative hair-styling, sophisticated sense of style and spot-on eye for color keeps his clients looking beautiful and always coming back for a truly memorable visit to his salons and skincare spas.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I truly love hair and felt a calling at a very young age that I had to create and provide beautiful, wearable styles.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Traveling with Renée Zellweger! I have styled and colored her hair for a Golden Globe Awards red carpet and for some of her previous movie premieres.

Yes, this happened when I met my husband Brian and he started to manage my career. I owe so much to us meeting and to him. He saw in me things I didn’t even see in myself. We are really complementary partners, and he pushed me forward in business so that I could no longer be complacent.

I let him help get me organized so I could pay off debt. When that burden was lifted I started to flourish. My creativity and business took off.

Know that you cannot do it all yourself! A strong business is defined by quality employees that are trained, engaged and presented with opportunity. Invest in training staff as that translates to the customer and their experience, creating a positive and respectful work environment for all. Accept help and you will have more time to pursue your passions.

Once again Brian Cantor, my partner. He runs the Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa business. I’m also extremely grateful for Paul Grasso, my best friend since childhood. He runs our internet/e-commerce business.

Remember to surround yourself with people you can trust. With Brian, our story really began when we fell in love and then it progressed to the point where we had to get him a green card. Working together made that possible in a time when two men were not allowed to marry — look how much has changed!

Social media plays a big part in connecting with our customers and creating relationships with the Paul Labrecque “PL” community. It is key in sharing our work lives and expertise with our customers, giving them insight into our day-to-day and introducing them to all that’s new with our business. Social media enables us to personalize our business on a much higher level and customize the beauty experience. It also gives us a more global approach to our business. We have access to so much more information from around the world and our business can also connect with a much broader audience 24/7.

More and more technology is also becoming available for our service side of the business. We have always embraced the newest and best in beauty products. Now new technology is available like never before. From products that are driven by science to actual technology that helps us deliver better services and more results driven beauty experiences. Biologique Recherche skincare has really taken the lead in this area over the last 2 years.

Me and my team are also excited about new non-chemical formulas for hair straightening, advanced hair color technology that is less damaging to hair, a wider range of hair color options and techniques, advanced hair addition and extension systems, hair and scalp therapy, and hair loss treatments with micro-needling, LED Light Therapy and PRP. All are making a real difference in how clients approach beauty.

The science of skincare has made some great advances in the last few years with more advanced product formulations and technology to support them. Micro-current lifting facials, micro-needling for skin, LED Light Therapy and very specific treatment protocols are setting the standard and raising the beauty bar in the skincare category. It’s all about customized treatments designed specifically for each clients’ unique beauty needs.

The Vegan beauty movement is also taking hold. New technologies and formulations are producing very effective products in this category. We work with many brands including Londontown nails and Biologique Recherche that continue to make advancements in this area.

Information is the key to knowledge! We love working with our clients to cater to their individual hair and skin needs, concerns, desires and goals.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Sometimes technology stops us from living in the moment. I don’t think everything has to be photographed. Technology today can either be a positive or negative depending on how you embrace. We must be careful not to get lost and disconnected from our clients and staff. However, if used properly it can certainly be a great connector to stay engaged and create closer relationships.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

We know so much more now about keeping hair healthy and thicker — PRP and re-bonding products for use during chemical treatments are just a couple examples. The envelope can really be pushed now.

The advancements in skincare science have taken spa treatments to a new level, too. The benefits go far beyond a relaxing experience. It’s all about real results with the new technology that is available. The new science of skincare has also propelled at-home care. Products today are much more effective, customized and results-driven. Serious skincare on a personalized level is now attainable for most, if they are willing to invest and commit.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

Blow Dry Bars — Untrained labor and this can steer people away from trusted salons.

At-Home Style Services that are discounted — These people have changed the price of a house call and ruin it for themselves when they become more experienced. Previously, leaving a salon to go out and do someone’s hair and/or makeup would garner a premium fee plus travel costs.

The Loss of the Large Salon where one Trained with a Notable Hair Stylist — This is being replaced by cubicle leasing with a central desk, with training now taking place on YouTube and Instagram.

I would first restructure state board and education training to properly educate future stylists about what is actually done in a salon every day. Juniors today can barely hold a blow dryer. I would also revamp the exam by implementing a in-salon mandatory piece to new stylist education, where testing takes place in a salon. Additionally, I would teach people how to talk to clients. Empathy is a must in our field and a stylist must know that we make our living from pleasing the client, therefore the client is always assumed right and we aim to please. Service, service, service!

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Keep your approach simple;
Have attainable goals that you can recreate;
Keep your style as natural as possible;
Don’t over-process or overdo, then you will only look good when someone else has primped you;
Wear your style, don’t let your style wear you;
And have done only what you can afford to keep up

Giving back — paying forward to clients, employees and the community. We just did an event at my Palm Beach salon and skincare spa to help homeless children. I made all of the food we raised a lot of money. We try our best to make a difference and that in itself is beautiful.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

What goes around comes around and you meet the same people going down as coming up, so always try to be a gentleman or lady.

This is how I live life. At times I’ve wanted to kill when an employee I trained wanted to leave, but I composed myself as a gentleman and when they were quoted in a magazine about their beginnings they mentioned me fondly. Thank god I used self-control and knew that there is enough business out there for all of us.

How can our readers follow you online?

Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare’s website: www.paullabrecque.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paullabrecquesalonandspa/

On Instagram @paullabrecquesalon

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

Hairstylist Paul Labrecque: Don’t over-process or overdo, then you will only look good when someone was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.