Today is the official kick off to American Cancer Society’s (ACS) latest program dubbed Choose You.

tng worldwide is the presenting sponsor for Michigan and we are excited. Here is why you should be too:

Choose You targets women 24/7, 365 days a year. Events such as STRIDES and Relay are fine and dandy, but they are but a day or a weekend. Choose You is forever, it’s a lifestyle campaign.

The nuts and bolts of it is that ACS wants women to take care of themselves first and everyone else second. This means focusing on a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition, exercise, preventive care and overall happiness.

We love it because it targets our customers who are primarily women. And they will spread the word through their clients who also are primarily women. This will spawn Choose You events both at the salon level and home.

The Industry Source kicks off Choose You July 1 to the salon community which is also very exciting.

Now men might ask, “What’s it in for us?” And the answer is, “Happier and healthier women.” And that might get men to get healthier as well.

So for at least today, eat something healthy, do something good for yourself and click on the website. It’s the new refreshing side of ACS and their logo is indicative of great things to come.

Happy Thursday!

[updated Friday, May 11]

I had to post this photo, it was our yoga session outside our New Hudson facility:



And this photo is hot off the press from New Hudson, awesome!

Hair Care Revolution black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment Earns Good Housekeeping Seal
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, May 3, 2012
NEW YORK, May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment, a revolutionary hair care hybrid that instantly transforms hair as it styles while also treating hair woes over time, has earned the highly coveted Good Housekeeping Seal, marking its position as one of the select brands in the professional hair care industry to achieve the honor. A favorite of hair stylists, beauty editors and celebrities, black 15in1 features such key ingredients as Aloe Vera, Green Tea Leaf Extract, SPF and Keratin, which deliver a myriad of fifteen clinically proven results, including enhanced shine, hair color retention, diminished frizz and split ends, plus heat styling and UV ray protection.

The Good Housekeeping Seal has been reassuring consumers about their product-purchasing decisions for over 100 years, and is one of the most recognized consumer emblems in the market today. Only products that have been evaluated and accepted by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute can earn the Seal, which also provides a two-year limited warranty.

“Consumers want a hair product that will simplify their lives, made by a brand that they can trust. The Good Housekeeping Seal confirms what consumers have been saying all along about the product,” said Larry Gaynor, tng worldwide President and CEO, and creator of the black 15in1 line. “It’s thrilling to be recognized. We’re proud to add the 100-year tradition of the Good Housekeeping Seal to black 15in1, and are excited to continue delivering outstanding quality to our consumers.”

“After being reviewed by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute’s Health, Beauty & Environmental Sciences Department, we’re thrilled to welcome black 15in1 to our Good Housekeeping Seal family,” said Patricia Haegele, Senior Vice President/ Group Chief Revenue Officer of Good Housekeeping Magazine.

The black 15in1 complete hair care system also includes the black 15in1 Twice-A-Week Shampoo and Conditioner, the first-ever twice-a-week shampoo and conditioner boasting an ultra-rich, paraben-free, sulfate-free formula that works in harmony to effectively cleanse and condition each strand. As the name suggests, the shampoo and conditioner are formulated for twice a week use, and maintain hairstyles for up to four days. The system works on all hair types and textures to enhance the hair’s natural qualities, leaving locks restored, refreshed and healthy.

black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment is available in 3.3oz bottles for $20.00 and a 1oz travel size bottle for $10.00. black 15in1 Twice-A-Week Shampoo and Conditioner is available in 6.6 oz. bottles ($20 for the shampoo and $22 for the conditioner) and 26.4 oz. bottles ($40 for the shampoo and $44 for the conditioner.) All products are sold in over 1,000 salons nationwide and available on www.black15in1.com.

About black 15in1:

black 15in1 was introduced in January 2011 to simplify hair care. Its signature product, black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment, provides luxurious results from 15 clinically proven benefits and is dermatologist recommended. With the launch of the black 15in1 Twice-A-Week Shampoo and Conditioner in February 2012, black 15in1 has created a revolution hair care.

www.black15in1.com
www.facebook.com/black15in1
www.twitter.com/black15in1

About the Good Housekeeping Seal

Since 1909, the Good Housekeeping Seal has been a highly recognized statement of the magazine’s renowned Consumer’s Policy. The Good Housekeeping Consumer’s Policy, published in every issue of the magazine, states that the limited warranty reflected by the Good Housekeeping Seal means that if a product bearing the Seal is defective within the first two years of purchase, Good Housekeeping will replace the product or refund the purchase price.

www.goodhousekeepingseal.com
www.facebook.com/goodhousekeeping
www.twitter.com/goodhousemag

Happy Friday!

Ward has been around the block a few times and ran one of the sales divisions for Maly’s when they were privately owned. Ward left to start his own company in 2007 along with his wife Christina. Like us, their focus is on the salon’s well being and their team is dedicated on providing the best products, education and support.

Needing a color line, Ward and I connected and he brought on Kemon. It was love at first sight (not between Ward and I, please) but with Ward’s customers and the brand. Now with the introduction of NaYo, the industry’s first ammonia-free, PPD-free, fragrance-free and dermatologist recommended hair color, salon demand is going through the roof. They are also digging Cramer color and Actyva Care retail products. But what BSS is really loving is the education and support that Kemon is giving their salons. I want to share this message that came from Suse Sullivan, Director of Education for BSS:

“Hi Kelly and Randy – first I want to thank you again for supporting us and our accounts with sending Lindsaya and Nikki last weekend.  They are a “dynamic duo” and truly made a great impression on many of our Kemon users through their knowledge, creativity, passion and their sincere desire to simply share!!

They accommodated a last minute request to do a PK/Formulation class on Sunday morning at a new account who just got the green light from the inspector that they could open on Monday.  Raquel Mercedes (Coach in training) just opened her own salon,  Jayden Presleigh, The Salon & Spa, which is BEAUTIFUL and was able to convince her new stylists that they had to use Kemon color.  Lindsaya and Nikki did a beautiful job going over the color lines and then helping them formulate on a few live models.  From what I’m hearing the stylists are off to a great start and getting more and more comfortable with the color and the options they have as they carry all varieties of Kemon that we have.

We then went to Headlines THE Salon and they had 2 models (1 each).  Lindsaya’s model was very brassy and she did a beautiful job at toning her down and giving her a beautiful warm blonde finish.
Nikki’s model was a client of Lauren’s and she did a beautiful Ombre and walked them through the technique.  Both models turned out beautiful and were very happy with the results as were the stylists.

I’m sure you already know this, but I have to say that Lindsaya is truly an asset!!  Her technical ability is spot on but it’s how she relays the information and simplifies it that makes it impactful.  I (along with everyone else) really enjoyed listening to her describe the points of difference within Kemon’s color portfolio.  I wish I could throw water on her so she’d multiply!!!!”

For me, this is the Kool-Aid that gets hairdressers, colorists and salon owners excited about hair color. And when it comes to hair color, Kemon is leading the way worldwide. BSS is a testament of what is happening in the USA.

Congratulations Ward, Christina, Suse and the the entire BSS team for your continued success.

Happy Friday!

Mike Nave is the kind of guy that should be roasted by those in the industry that have put up with him and vice versa for more than 30 years. Since I cannot think of an event in which that would take place, I have decided this is the best time and place to do what I can to give a little recognition to Nave’s achievements in the industry. After all, he has conned me into paying him $85 a year for his annual subscription of the blue rag, a true testament to his selling acumen.

Contrary to popular belief, Nave actually attended college and graduated. Not wanting to work for his father, he pursued a career path to use his degree. But alas after finding work at a meter reader, Nave succumbed to join the family business. Here is his personal recollection:

“When I graduated UC Berkley with my BS Degree (the initials are perfect for my writing career) my dad assumed that I would join the family business. He operated a successful distribution business. I told him that being a college graduate with a degree I was going to be a valuable asset for a company and that I was going to seek a position with a large corporation. At the time I was living at home and dad would inquire from time to time about my job hunt. I was searching, sending out resumes but with no success. Finally I got a job offer and I could not wait to tell dad the good news. “Dad I got a job offer from a large corporation,” I informed him. He responded, “That’s great, who is the company and what’s the job?”  I proudly stated, “It’s an executive training program with the Southern California Edison Corporation.” Dad asked, “Tell me what you are going to be doing?”  I said, “The training program starts with me reading gas meters of businesses and homes.” Dad in is subtle way said, “Your reading gas meters that’s @#?*&*&?!” He went on, “You come to work Monday morning!” I commented  “Ok but it will only be temporary until I find a better job offer where I can use my degree.” I worked for the family business for over 30 years and for the last 25 years as the CEO.”

The company Nave went to work for: Mercury Distributing which was started by his father. Like most family businesses, they endured both good and bad times. At one point, the business hit a low point as highlighted by Nave, “The company that my dad started lasted 55 years and it wasn’t always great times. We went through a tough period and got into major financial problems and owed a ton of money to vendors. Rather than go the Chapter 11 route and screw all the suppliers we owed money to, we made a decision to sell our building to the original builder and lease it back and took the proceeds and paid every creditor in full. My dad taught me a great deal over the years we worked together and this decision was one that I am most proud of and acknowledge Eddie Nave’s business ethics and his coaching.

The business back then was run a little different than businesses are run today. “During the “good ole days’ the doing business was a bit more casual than today. Reps would make their sales call that consisted of their going into the warehouse to visually check inventory on their lines and then they wrote their suggested order on a match book cover or any handy slip of paper. Coupled with a handshake the order was done and more important we were off to Rothbards, the local deli to seal the deal with a CB on rye!” Personally I had two orange binders and did the same thing, wrote down what was needed and then called the supplier to place the orders.

Nave sold the company in 1997 to Paul Diamond, “`I’d been doing it 37 years – I’d been tap-dancing on the same dance floor – and I had trade publications that I was doing on the side that I wanted to devote more time to,” Nave said. Nave, who knew Diamond nearly 15 years, said he valued the latter’s experience and contacts and “really felt I needed to have some new blood in the business.”  This gave Nave the opportunity to pursue his dream, The Beauty Industry Report (known as both the BIR and Blue Rag). And Nave the shrewd businessman negotiated with Diamond his office space, “`The only thing they rent me is an office – and toilet privileges – for $1 a month.”

To learn more about Nave’s career path and achievements he finds worthy of bragging about, look no further than Linked-in. I know few others that have more than 500 connections.

I would venture to say that Nave makes more money and is happier today than when he owned Mercury. For one, he makes a killing with his newsletter. It is a better value than the Rose Sheet, but then at $1835 a year, what isn’t? I enjoyed it better when it had more juicy gossip than sponsored articles but with all the entrepreneurs selling out, the gossip has been limited. Nave also reps a bunch of companies, learning from his previous mentor Diamond. I also know firsthand that when it comes to meetings, he always opts for lunch meeting instead of dinner because they are so much cheaper. We had lunch at Gibson’s where the garbage salad is his favorite option (he orders it for dinner as his entrée if he has to pay) and I think he gave me two free months of the BIR if I paid the check.

You will see Nave at virtually every trade show. He figured this one out too. He knows the show producers want him to write about the show in his rag, so they pay all his expenses to show up and if that isn’t enough, he finds one of his vendors to pick up the tab. I wanted him to come to one of our charity events and the first thing he asked me, “Let me do a story on TNG.” Yea, right!

Personally, what do I really know about Mike Nave? Not much. I’ve never been to his house or knew him at Mercury. We have never went on vacation or attended a party together. My real experience with him has been the last few years in which he has helped me out on a few projects and fretted his advice on several subjects. If anything, I am a little envious. How cool to sell your company and do what he does each and every day! I’m sure there are plenty of those that have derogatory stories to tell but in the scheme of things, I would say that Nave has brought more good to the industry and is one of the icons left that remember the industry way back when. He’s one of the good guys. And I’m not blowing smoke up his a__ because I know him well enough to know there is still no chance he will buy me a steak at Gibson’s.

Thank you Mr. Mike Nave for your contribution to the industry and please, enjoy many more years of making more of them.

Happy Monday!

Dick Clark was America’s perpetual teenager. He never got older and kept doing what he loved doing best. He is the one that figured out how to make millions by dropping a silver ball in New York on New Year’s Eve. How brilliant.

So when Dick Clark died recently at the age of 82 (he had a severe stroke in 2004) and most recently appeared on his last New Year’s Eve show (not looking so good but hey, this was Dick Clark), it was like the message was sent home loud and clear that nobody is going to live forever. Of course I know that and we all know that but life is relative to others.

When I was 20, anyone 50 and over was OLD.

When I was 30, anyone 60 and over was OLD.

When I was 40, OK, you get the idea.

And when we are young, we are going to live forever or shall I say, death is never on the forefront. My generation is not so young anymore.

Wouldn’t you know it, shortly after Dick Clark passes away, both Levon Helm and Jonathan Frid say good-bye as well.

Coincidentally I met with my “death” lawyer this week to update my will. I could not believe it was 14 years since my first will and then the kids were in junior high and high school. Now one is married with a kid. YIKES! And then I got to think how old I will be 14 years from now. More YIKES!

The bottom line is that death is imminent and a topic we don’t discuss much until someone close to us actually does the deed. Which reminds of another friend of mine who once told me “Live while you can because when you are six feet under, you are done.”

Amen.

Happy Friday from above the soil!

My mother would herd us to the barber shop and we would wait to get our buzz cuts. Zip, zip, zap. Zip, zip, zap. I hated getting my hair cut and I also hated getting my neck area done as I was very ticklish.

Back then, barber shops were the mainstay and they were all run by (yes, you guessed correctly), barbers. In the day, barbers were all men.

As I got to junior high and high school, I started to visit a hairdresser who only used the zip, zip, zap on my neck and it was still ticklish. But at least I had a style (and a “part”, like anyone part’s their hair anymore). Those were the days of Brylcreem, Vitalis and other OTC concoctions. I opted for none of them. Antonio was my hairdresser.

Then came college and the early 70’s and I think we boycotted getting our hair cut and it really didn’t matter. However chances were if you went to a barber shop or salon, you would find plenty of men to cut your hair.

Around that time, a whole slew of male hairdressers decided that it was time to make something of the salon business and actually create some products that would excite people when most thought that “a dab will do you” was good enough. These guys included Arnie Miller, Paul Mitchell, John Sebastian, Jheri Redding, Vidal Sassoon, Irvine Rusk and the list goes on. They were on to something and reinvented the business as we know it today. Men doing what men do best.

These guys inspired other men to do the same thing and before you knew it, the likes of Sam Brocato, MIchael O’Rourke, Leland Hirsch, Steve Stefano, Robert Taylor  and many others got into the business. None of them had the impact of the original pioneers but still inspired others to keep following suit. In the meantime, women finally saw the beauty of getting into the beauty industry and enrollment in tech schools and trade schools zoomed. I kept going to Antonio, who by the way is still cutting hair (but not mine).

Over the course of time, industry trade shows evolved as well. In the early days, the founders spent lavishly on booths, education, and parties. Hairdressers got dressed up to attend the shows and spent long weekends absorbing it all. The founders were on stage dazzling new hairdressers, building momentum for their brands. This time period was the true entrepreneurial period of our industry.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and you will be hard pressed to find a man owning a big company. Virtually everyone sold out with the exception of Paul DeJoria (who along with his Patron division is worth some $4.5 Billion or more). Today, big brands are owned by multi-national corporations and private investment groups. The business is about numbers, not inspiring hairdressers. And perhaps because of this, all but a few men have left our industry.

Beauty school students have been 99% female for years. Salons are now owned by women more than men. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to go to a salon and see nothing but men cutting hair.

The bottom line is that our industry thrives on diversification and we need men just like we need women to make it thrive. Plenty of women love getting their haircut by men just like plenty of men love getting their haircut by women (i.e. Lady Jane’s Haircuts for Men). Today, I get my haircut done by a woman and love it. I much prefer a woman to give me a scalp massage.

The question we need to answer as an industry is how to get men back into beauty school and back behind the chair. So many men have opted for careers in the hospitality industry including bartenders, servers, hotel operations and so on. Yes, we all are in the service industry but we are still the only service industry that relies on personal touch for success, even if you are a little ticklish.

Happy Wednesday!

However, none of its signature pizzas included pepperoni, mushrooms, ham, sausage or other standard toppings typical Domino customers’ enjoy. Naturally, they wanted to change the toppings to what they liked.

After months of thinking about it, corporate came out with its decision: No!

How refreshing is that? Just think of all the times you want to say “no” and end up saying “yes.” In most instances, “yes” was the wrong answer. Domino’s is clearly stating that it is offering a premium product that is not up for negotiation. In business today, if your customers steer you away from your core competency, trouble usually lurks ahead. Looks like a good lesson to me and I am sure there will be case studies done on this in the near future to prove out the point.

I don’t know about you, but the pizza looks awfully good to me (and I haven’t had a Domino’s pizza in more than 20 years).

Happy Wednesday!

No doubt if you won the Lotto you would not pick up a penny if you saw one on the ground. But would you anyway? Chances are no. Now if Canada has its way, its residents won’t have to worry about the dilemma anymore as it wants to ban the penny much like other countries have. They state it cost them $.016 to produce a penny and they lose over $10 million a year. But if they won the Lotto. . .

Best Buy is getting crushed by amazon.com and other online retailers. They are closing 50 stores and most likely many more in the future. This is a bad sign for big box retailers as Best Buy is one of the best run retailers in the world. If they can’t make it, who is going to be left, Starbucks and Five Guys? It seems consumers no longer need a physical store to buy electronics and other gear or perhaps only to “shop” and then order online while at the store. It’s an interesting phase we are now in.

CVS found out the hard way just like Best Buy did a few years ago that breaking into the beauty market is not so easy. They have decided to shutter their 360 concept after testing it with 25 stores. ULTA is the grand prize winner and will continue to dominate the landscape. Their stock is pushing $100.

Good to see Michigan’s unemployment under 9% and the auto companies doing well. But hopefully everyone has learned their lesson and Michigan diversifies and education picks up its pace.

Are you loving the new Timeline homepage on Facebook? Not!

black 15in1 launches its refill size of Miracle Hair Treatment next month by popular request.

Beauty Buzz will be all the buzz come October. Beauty Buzz is all about beauty and will feature some great names in the business. Jay Towers will be the emcee and Ambassador magazine will cover the event top to bottom. Look for more information coming up. The event is Sunday, October 7 at the Motor City Casino Hotel.

Speaking of events, we are holding the greatest salon equipment and furniture sale in history. In fact, virtually every item in our showroom will be for sale and/or auction. If you need a new styling chair or to outfit a new salon, this is the event you have been waiting for. Monday, May 14 at the Pavillion. The fun starts at 8AM.

Of all the companies that offer TV, Internet and Phone, ATT’s U-verse ranks at the bottom. There is not another company with such poor customer service to go along with poor performing products. When Comcast looks good, you know how bad is bad.

Happy Friday!

There were no texts.

There were no emails.

There were no high fives.

There were no bragging rights.

There was no longer a need to look forward to the weekend’s games.

Losing sucks.

There was silence. Dreadful silence.

There was no watching the TV after the game ended. One more word from the announcers would have put you over the edge.

There was no celebratory drink.

There was no need to think about New Orleans.

There were no winning bets.

Losing sucks.

But hey, the Spartans weren’t even ranked to start the season and no one expected them to win the Big 10, win the Big 10 Championship and make it to the Sweet 16.

In fact, we went further than a lot of teams such as Duke, Michigan, Georgetown and many others.

In fact, it was a great season. And Spartans are still proud of the accomplishments.

But hey, losing still sucks.

Happy Friday!

Education continues to be the linchpin for those wanting to get ahead. The mantra, “Never stop learning” is more important today than ever before. This past Monday we had nearly 100 hairdressers in for the Kemon OMBRE workshop led by Eric Lindsey and the Kemon Coaches Team. OMBRE is a French technique that is very hot on the runway right now for coloring hair starting dark at the roots and lightening it gradually through to the ends. Everyone loved the class and it will be a hit at salons.

OMBRE CLASS AT THE ACADEMY                                                      ERIC LINDSEY ANSWERING QUESTIONS

Speaking of very cool, black 15in1 was featured in the NY TImes last Thursday and is in the current issue of People Style Watch. It made it’s debut in Quebec last week and will hit Toronto next weekend. Be sure to checkout the new Facebook Timeline page at Facebook/black15in1. As an FYI, all Facebook pages will move to Timeline by April 1.

We are very excited to be on the ground floor of American Cancer Society’s new Choose You program. tng worldwide will be the Presenting Sponsor for the inaugural luncheon kick-off May 11 at Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield. Choose You is focused on women and cancer prevention with a strong focus on health, diet and wellness but just as important, for women to understand it’s their time to focus on themselves. This will be a huge program for us and ACS and we look forward to bringing it salons throughout the USA.

We were thrilled to sell more than 50,000 bottles of Shellac in February. But then Apple announced it sold more than 3 million iPads on its opening weekend. . .at $500 a pop, that is more than $1.5 BILLION in sales. Can you imagine?

I read the Hunger Games and I will leave it to Scholastic: They know how to publish great kids books (Harry Potter books among others), now they need to learn to make money doing so. The book has created a worldwide sensation and I can see why after reading it. Is there any better age group than 12-18 to focus on right now?

MSU is hot and most likely going to the Final Four once again. Too bad about Michigan and Duke losing in the first round. OUCH!

Gas at over $4 a gallon isn’t making headlines like when gas hit $3 a gallon a couple years back. Perhaps we are used to higher gas prices and know most other countries are paying a whole lot more. And with all the warm weather, refineries are having a tough time making enough gasoline as it is.

I listened to Jimmy Buffett’s rendition of the Rolling Stones song, “You Can’t Always Have What You Want” and it was sensational live. But what was really good was his added line at the end, “As long as you have everything that you need.”

OPI’s new Nail App’s are very cool and could be the next “Crackle.” They come in lots of patterns and last up to 2 weeks, best applied with UV top coat. Now in stock!

Love the longer days and nights, hate the GEESE! Isn’t there anything we can do with them???

Happy Wednesday!