Widely known among the industry as the benchmark in salon business, Kao Salon Alliance MBE 2023 was back bigger than ever with a massive turnout of almost 350 guests connecting across two days of business and creative. By inspiring a new level of personal consciousness, MBE closed out that disconnect between people and passion, business and the brawn behind being resilient in today’s climate, writes Cameron Pine.
Opened by Rita Marcon, General Manager KAO Australia, Rita made way for a very special few days of innovation and creativity at Sydney’s iconic Ivy Ballroom, thanking the KAO salon network for traveling far and wide to make the MBE weekender such a monumental event and celebrate a new era for business built around reaching for higher goals, purpose and confidence.
“Everyone has talent – what is rare is the courage to follow. If you don’t challenge yourself physically – you won’t be stronger in a year.”
A line up of speakers to both inspire and build courage from the depths of each and everyone in the room, with lessons around being resilient no matter the challenge, taking the time to be physically more connected and strong, owning who you are and adapting to survive, were at the forefront. MBE stands for Marketing, Business, Education – the Kao family were this year focused on having every facet covered with a newfound level of personal development.
Since the beginning of MBE, KAO have stuck 100 per cent to a core vision and continued to invest in their divisions and brands – with education remaining a focus covering all brands now from Goldwell, to KMS, Kerasilk, Oribe and Varis.
Amanda Stevens is one of Australia’s most in-demand speakers on sales, marketing, gender psychology, customer service and the future of consumers, but most importantly someone who has empathy for both the business leader and the consumer – taking us one step further and teaching us how to continually be curious and brave throughout our business and personal lives to make real change.
“People and purpose – that’s value of good business – everything in the room is connected by invisible magnetic threads and it’s our job to tun them from invisible to visible,” Amanda said.
“Moments of personalisation are perceived to have a higher value. It’s not a high-tech moment but a high touch moment, it’s the little things that get the purchase across the line – we should never make assumptions about our clients or why people buy,” she said.
Amanda underpinned the importance of being curious now more than ever. “Staying curious longer leads to more magical outcomes. Most importantly, it enables us to connect. When we ask more questions that enables us to build commonality. Why don’t we ask these questions? Of course, the biggest pain point if you like my seminars, is getting your teams to retail consistently,” she said.
Seamus Evans is a keynote speaker living with non-swearing Tourette Syndrome. After years on television’s quirkiest shows, Seamus explained how he, as a young man challenged with a disease, soon learnt to use it as his main advantage for being confident and showing vulnerability on television, explaining how he “turned a flaw into a superpower”.
Seamus’ message that really hit everyone suffering adversity in the room is that the greatest lows bring the greatest change – to help pull us outside of depression, rejection and that comfortable space of defeat and back into something we are destined to do.
Next up was a distinctly higher level of mindfulness than we often see in a conference environment, with a movers and shakers panel with three experts mastering methods behind wellbeing, mind and money.
Co-founder of Soma Byron Bay Ida Almasi, Money Expert and Financial Advisor Jess Brady and Caitlin Quinn formed a strong collaborative panel that sparked change among all guests.
As a Pilates and barre instructor and musical theatre performer, Caitlin hit the stage with a collective knowledge and profound level of purpose and mindfulness through physical activity, being a true advocate for the power of body movement and the importance of prioritising time to move our bodies if we want to be successful in life.
“Time is of the essence and when we get busy we think that we can’t exercise today, but I think with hairdressers, the biggest thing is the neck and shoulders and I’d say risks with RSI so stretching and moving when you wake up in the morning is about how you set the stage to be successful in your work,” she said.
“If there’s any really practical advice that I can give is to get yourself an exercise band, or just a piece of rope. You are only as young as your spine is flexible – whether you are 25 or 70. “It doesn’t have to be gym, it doesn’t have to be a run. Find ways to move your body that you love. You might find a dance class, you might just go for a walk with friends.”
Jess Brady has carved a niche through recognising access to quality financial advice was often by wealthy white men for wealthy white men but, as she says, “where is the advice for young people, people of colour and people of the LGBTQ+ community? I continue to set new goals as I have helped more than $25,000 people feel better about money”.
“So many people feel shame and guilt and stigma in their lack of confidence around money and yet we still don’t put this on the agenda. Especially with women, we have been actively taught its un-lady-like to prioritise money,” she said. “If we are not good at something we need to outsource and remain in our zone of excellence.” It’s little wonder Jess’s free monthly webinars have become so popular.
Ida Almasi’s husband Peter Ostick’s business was soaring but his health was degrading. He had pneumonia twice in a year, then a seizure going across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to a meeting due to stress – and that’s how Soma Byron Bay was born.
“He woke up in the hospital and the doctor said ‘you’re 30, you’re super successful, if you keep going at this rate, you won’t make it to 40’. So he turned his life around, eventually sold his business, got into Buddhism and meditation, and through that we found our business partners and now the retreat is what it is today,” Ida said.
Craig Hollywood is the founder of Short Back and Sidewalks – a charity that has now become a nationwide phenomenon. In 2015, whilst sitting in a barbershop in Perth, Craig came up with the idea to offer free haircuts to people in need. It’s now grown into a national organisation that has positively impacted the lives of over 10,000 people. He can’t cut hair, he’s a civil engineer, but knows the power of a fresh new cut and, more so, the power of a conversation and connection. Once scared to get on stage and talk, he’s embraced many of his own fears and personal challenges through the gift of giving to others.
“Every single time that I have a haircut I have a conversation with the person who cuts my hair, and I actually believe that they are the accidental counsellors of society. We literally put our head in your hands and tell your some of our deepest thoughts and feelings,” he said. “Everyone has an idea and if there’s one thing I can give you all today, is that ideas are one thing you really need to trust – trust your heart and trust your head.”
The Sunday night marked the party experience for all guests to unwind at the Establishment Hotel and revel in the 75th anniversary year celebrations of Goldwell. Guests were encouraged to wear sparkle and shine while participating in the 360 degree camera, photo wall opportunities and a live music performance with dancers and singers to bring the party atmosphere to the MBE program before leading into day two of the creative hairdressing presentations.
Showcasing some of the world’s best talent, including a closing show by none other than Angelo Seminara, it was an opportunity to truly celebrate hair and the DNA of each KAO salon brand in its entirety.
First up was Oribe’s Adam Livermore from New York City, who gave an insight into distinctively polished Oribe high fashion looks from the 90s to now and fashion weeks around the world, particularly Thom Browne in New York. Adam explained the difference in detail between salon and fashion and how a brand like Oribe bridges both salon luxury and the zeitgeist.
Ali Holmes and Piet Pantano brought those distinctively street KMS looks to the fore – drawing on a Double Rainbouu fashion show back in 2019 and some key iconic moments the brand has experienced through styling P.E Nation and across male and female style to provide that community relevance that only KMS knows how. Highly entertaining on-stage, Ali and Piet divulged their successful salon partnership and the key to staying relevant to your salon audience.
Kirby Lago, Amanda Magistro and Jason Fassbender then brought Kerasilk to life with beautiful classic hairdressing techniques. As ambassadors for the brand, the focus was on the performance of the range while rebuilding the strength of the hair and the versatility of the newly condensed range that features some of stylists’ most loved hero products.
Alannah Read then brought forward an inside into Goldwell’s most exciting colour launch for 2023 – new Topchic ZERO. Representing a zero-ammonia formula Alannah spoke of her synergy with the brand for its completely nasty free formula coupled with its high performance – not to mention its versatility when transitioning clients from other colours, all while being 98 per cent biodegradable. She showcased models with a clean colour philosophy of varying ages.
75 years of Goldwell was celebrated with none other than the legendary Shane Henning (Noddy’s on King) and Megan Evans (In Awe Salon) who sent creative colour and style from the decades down the catwalk, while also presenting futuristic new trends and techniques.
Angelo Seminara closed the weekend with a heart stopping finale. Angelo’s creative touch, calm creativity and open heart proves why he is a global favourite and a huge asset to the KAO team. His techniques are purely unique to him, such as teasing hair with sandpaper for creative effect.
“That’s why I love this industry, we can do such creative things with colour and make them really vibrant. Sometimes you end up with something you just design for you – we don’t just have to do hair for a commercial purpose. I was born into a salon but this is what I believe in,” he said.
Sitting down with Angelo over an exclusive brunch the next day was also an opportunity for some attendees to get up close and personal and gain an insight into the life and inspirations behind such a recognised and the most humble name in hair. Stay tuned for more on Angelo soon!
Proving that more is more, MBE mixed business brains and countless years of hard-earned experience with speakers known for their comedic yet deeply emotional experiences. Not only were MBE guests left better informed, they also left better equipped to approach their business with an infectious culture that celebrates their uniqueness against all adversity.
For 2023 it seems that success and the culture of profitable salons is in realising our boundaries, outsourcing things beyond our zone of competence and embracing a more authentic and sustainable level of achievement.
Culturally throughout the conference, the Albert Einstein quote never rang truer – ‘creativity is intelligence having fun’.
For more information visit www.kaosalondivision.com
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