First Chair - Spring 2008 Success Guide - (Page 29)

company name website executives Dennis Bernard, Inc. www.DennisBernard.com Dennis Bernard Campanaro, CEO/President, Jeff Campanaro, Senior Vice-President Sales, Mario Campanaro, Vice-President Operations, D.J. Durante, Vice-President, Schools Division, Joe Santy, Vice-President Education 1981 POWERTOOLS, Smart Solutions, Total Image To edify the lives of hairdressers through education and products that make their work days easier, proﬁtable and enjoyable. All major trade shows, our distributor shows, DBI Website, technical hotline 800-541-5456 732-308-9935 or 800-541-5456, or www.dennisbernard.com founding year primary brands mission statement advanced education contact info for products >Joe Santy Vice President of education Who was your ﬁrst industry mentor and what did you learn from him or her? My very ﬁrst mentor (and I have been fortunate to have many) was a woman by the name of Pat Johnson. At the time, I was in beauty school and she was a technician for Helene Curtis Industries, a powerhouse company in the professional industry in the ’70s. She enlightened me on hair color, on which she is an expert to this day. Pat also had me doing behind-the-scenes work, i.e. color and perms, for the top HC guest artists at that time. The most important thing she taught me, which transcends her color knowledge, was her passionate work ethic to which I am grateful for to this day. During your ﬁrst years as a stylist, what was your biggest challenge? Hair cutting was, is and has always been my biggest challenge but not from a technical aspect. I take altering the image of a person both psychologically and cosmetically very seriously. To me a hair cut is a transformation on multiple levels for a client, not just ﬁbers hitting the ﬂoor. If you don’t believe me, just ask someone with a bad hair cut how they feel! I keep it a challenge so as not to become complacent. Remember, the number-one reason a client changes stylists is because she feels she isn’t getting what she wants. Tell us about a favorite client from your early days in the industry. At the risk of sounding cliché, all my clients through the years are my favorites. I can honestly say that through the years I have learned from them all. Sure, you will have clients that share the same chemistry as you making them easier to talk to; however, the ones that will hone your skills, both as a communicator and technically, will be the ones that might be a triﬂe difﬁcult when you ﬁrst do their hair. I can assure you that in the majority of cases your most difﬁcult clients, if you “wow!” them, will be your most loyal clients for years to come. By the way, after 33 years, the ﬁrst client I charged still comes to my salon. What has been your favorite salon industry class and why? Over the last 33 years I went to many academies, schools and classes. One of my favorites in the early ’80s was Martin Parsons Academy in Toronto. The reason it was one of my favorites was that the passion of the staff, the ambiance of the academy and Martin himself made for an incredible learning experience. I had gone with the D’Attilio brothers, who at the time were rated as one the top cutting teams in the world. They were as marveled as I by the simplicity of the hair cutting system presented and the beautiful end results it produced. Martin to this day is still one of the greatest educators in the industry, using simple concepts that create glamorous end results. His academy made me realize the value of simple, clear communication in presenting technical information, which is something I strive to achieve in the salon, with stylists, with clients and in every presentation. What is one thing that you would tell new graduates about the hair industry? “When you’re green you are growing, when you’re ripe you rot.” An anonymous quote ﬁrst told to me by Robert and Arnold Zegarelli. It’s meaning to me is “always be learning.” When you think you know it all, that is the beginning of your end. My solution to any challenge or difﬁculty, in the beauty industry or in life, is education. Education will open different perspectives and options for you to reach a solution. People skills, technical skills such as Fast Color, building a new clientele, dealing with stylists you work with, etc. will always be easier for you when you are open to learning. Learn more @ ﬁrstchair.com MODERN SALON’S FIRSTCHAIR SPRING 2008 29 http://www.DennisBernard.com http://www.DennisBernard.com http://www.dennisbernard.com http://firstchair.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of First Chair - Spring 2008 Success Guide

First Chair - Spring 2008 Success Guide Contents First Word First View First Skills: Styles First Skills: Business First Skills: Design School of the Year 2008 Tools for Success First Tools First Products First Happenings

First Chair - Spring 2008 Success Guide

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