• Confidence: This comprises about 10% of total engagement. The ability to believe in yourself and do what you do well.
• Integrity: This comprises about 15% of total engagement. This is about showing respect, being a team player and constantly learning.
• Pride: This comprises about 30% of total engagement. This is about being an ambassador for the company you work for (and family), making great first impressions, being empowered and showing respect.
• Passion: This comprises about 40% of total engagement and is the most difficult of all to possess. This is about showing genuine appreciation for everything you do and those around you. When one has passion, you know it from their smile, their actions, the way they communicate and live their daily life.

These four tenants are part of our TNG credo and every TNG talent carries their credo card with them at all times. I got this idea from The Ritz Carlton who originated the credo card. We’ve been doing this for more than five years.

These values are what set apart amateurs from professionals. Pro’s must be fully engaged at all times to be their best. Constant learning, training, practice, competition and winning are part of their daily lives. You witness this in every profession (that’s why it’s called profession) such as sports, Texas Hold ‘Em, cooking (Chefs are the new big thing),  finance, and being a business owner.

It’s not easy being a fully engaged professional. That’s why some are better than others. You also have to have a natural talents. But in virtually every instance, pro’s always beat amateurs. Amateurs may possess confidence and integrity, but they have yet to acquire pride and passion.

Amateurs show their full colors when they compete with professionals. It isn’t pretty. That’s one reason why college football teams don’t play against NFL teams even in pre-season. It’s a totally different playing field.

Gallup has taught me many things over the years and the one lesson I always keep in the back of my mind is about passion. I’m passionate about the business and that’s why I’m not selling out. Our team is passionate about the business. Those in our industry that are passionate understand our purpose and mission.

Please visit gallup.com to learn more about engagement. In the meantime, let’s move forward doing the best that we can.

Happy Thursday!

As you may know, millage is a tax and is collected with your annual property taxes. Millages are voted on and must be passed. You can figure for a $100,00 valued property, you are going to pay a minimum of $10 and upwards of $100 for every millage that passes.

Coming up Tuesday, August 3 is the primary vote for Governor and other political offices plus community millages. In Oakland county alone:

• Please vote for the OCC (Oakland Community College) renewal millage! Your added tax dollars are crucial in today’s economic climate to keep our 5 campuses operational. Without such funding, we will cry and our professors will have to resort to sack lunches. It’s only $81 per $100,000 and this state needs education!
• Please vote for Oakland parks. Parks are vital for kids, parents, animals and actually increase the value of your homes. We need the renewal millage to cut the grass, clean out the garbage cans and pay police to round up drunks. It’s only $21 per $100,000 and we need our parks!
• Please vote for the Ferndale library millage renewal. Without the renewal, we will not be able to subscribe to the most current magazines, pay access fees for Facebook or Twitter and certainly not afford free WIFI! It’s only $36 per $100,000 and our 79 year old librarian is not ready to retire!

No kidding, I think we pay well over $1000 in millages a year alone. I thought that what property taxes were to pay for. But it appears virtually everyone wants more money than they get from property taxes so they introduce a millage. And voters with kids are sympathetic and approve. And does any millage fade away? NO! Renewals are the course of the day.

I think about the Hospitality industry and they have to deal with reverse millages. I recently stayed at a hotel in New York. The rate was $199 per night. I ended up paying $296 per night.

• 9.5% state tax
• 6% city tax
• 3% convenience tax
• $10 city surcharge
• $4 garbage collection tax
• $3 no beggars in lobby tax
• $9 debt pay-off tax

Ever rent a car? There are more fees on the invoice and you thought you were paying $29.99 a day???

So it’s time for the Salon & Spa millage. We need our salons and spas. They employ tens of thousands and provide many kinds of services. Without them, what would America look like? And since so many women are doing their services at home, we need a boost. Come August 3, vote YES for the millage, it’s only $28 per $100,000. And if you vote yes, we might even toss in a free haircut!

Happy Monday!

Gloves are used virtually everywhere. TSA uses gloves; food service handlers use gloves; even supermarket cashiers are starting to wear gloves.

And then it dawned on me why glove use has become so pervasive. Think hand sanitizer. Everywhere you look there is a hand sanitizer station. More and more public bathrooms have them since people are too lazy to use soap and water.

Think handshakes. For some reason, it is still custom to handshake when you meet someone in a business setting. Last weekend at the beauty show I had to shake hands on multiple occasions. YIKES! What is worse when the other hand is wet, sweating, soft and not knowing where it was last? I am inventing the “handshake” glove.

But it already has been invented, sort of. The new “knuckle-to-knuckle” handshake is the best and I am using it more and more. Unfortunately it’s not approved for business use. So the handshake glove has a chance.

In the end, most people are unsanitary. I cannot tell you how many guys leave the stall and don’t wash their hands. Women’s stalls are an adventure and you wonder they still install toilet seats on the toilets since who would dare sit on one?

I am bypassing the handshake glove for the all-new “Permanent” glove. That’s right folks. From the moment you leave your house to the time you get home, this permanent glove will last all day long, protect you from all human contact, surfaces touched by humans (did you know escalator rubber rails have the most germs of all?) and take care of all the handshakes you need to make. And best of all, no one will know you are wearing it.

Happy Friday!

Then came the Mirage and the beginning of the destination resorts. With it came the strollers, kids and Disney crowd. Resorts added amusement parks, zoos, water parks and more kids and strollers came.

But along the way, the gamblers in the casinos finally got irked enough by parents with strollers that thought they were motorcyclists who could weave their way in and out without courtesy to others. Casinos reacted and removed the amusement parks, water parks and free kids meals.

Then Vegas started advertising to adults and that prompted their new tag line, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Ultra clubs, dresses barely covering, topless pool clubs flourished.

Then came October 2008. Business crashed and visitors dropped from 36 Million to 28 Million annually. Hotel room rates plummeted and guess what happened? The Disney crowd came back.

So we are staying at Mandalay Bay for the beauty show and someone needs to tell me the following:

• Why do parents bring babies and kids under 14 to Vegas?
• Why do casinos allow strollers in the casino?
• Why do parents take their kids to the pool when it’s 120 degrees?
• They got rid of the bookstore and opened up a frozen yogurt store. There are over 40 flavors to select. You grab a large cup, pour whatever flavors you want and pay by the ounce. Why are people eating 16-24 oz. of yogurt?
• They got rid of a few slots and opened up a frozen daiquiri bar. You can select from 100 oz down to 24 oz. Why are people sucking down 100 oz. of sugar mixed with a bit of alcohol?
• They now have a new buffet promotion!! Pay only $39.95 and eat all day. That’s right. You can go for breakfast and eat unlimited pancakes, eggs, sausages, bacon, pastries and donuts. Then walk your kids in strollers for a couple hours around the casino and go back for lunch. Unlimited burgers, fries, pizza, barbeque and lots and lots of desserts. Yummy! Then take your kids down the Strip while it’s 120 degrees, cool off at M&M World then make your way back for dinner. Unlimited fried shrimp, fried chicken, more pizza and the huge sundae bar. Why?

I have never seen so many obese people as this last trip. Vegas is no longer about gambling, it’s about eating and eating humungous quantities. So they really need to rethink their advertising campaign since “What happens in Vegas really does leave Vegas,” all 10 pounds hanging out. Keep the bikinis and Speedos home!

Happy Thursday!

1. We have been liberated. With no sucking up to global companies at debilitating meetings, there was no stress.
2. I did not walk the show floor aisle by aisle. In fact, I didn’t even walk the show floor although it was the smallest ever.
3. All the action was in private meetings held at hotel suites far away from the show floor. Between Kemon, Label.m, Michael O’Rourke and a few others, I can sense this incubator of new and fresh ideas paving the way for the next generation.

The show floor saw fewer exhibitors and attendees than ever before. CPNA is an embarrassment to its flagship show in Bologna. I felt sorry for the huge number of China, Korea, Taiwan and Italy stands that tried to do some business.

The big booths catered to retail customers such as ULTA, Sephora and chain drug. Although either CND or OPI were on the floor, the nail category took up a sizeable amount of space. There wasn’t much else that was noteworthy.

Even the rep groups see the handwriting on the wall. While they still had booths on the floor, most of them were running around the Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay and the Hotel going to meetings. They are desperate for new blood and it was quite scary considering it was daytime.

Salons were around for NAHA but why CPNA and the PBA ties the two events together is still a mystery.

But we do need to thank CPNA and the PBA for bringing distributors to Las Vegas to do business over a 2-3 day period even if it’s not done on the show floor. I’m already looking forward to next July 24-26.

Happy Wednesday!

While the basic premises are so simple, execution is not. We get wrapped up with “solutions” that give us “outs” but more times than not, do not address the core. For instance, let’s take the process of taking an order. Getting put on hold for minutes waiting to speak to a live person has become so common, why focus on expediting the wait period? In fact, we hired a third-party provider to answer our calls after 60 to enhance our service levels. While this alleviated long wait periods, the level of service from our third-party provider was below standards.

Getting back to the gold standard is what TNG  used to do: Answer the phone in 3 rings or less. In an era where customer service continues to decline and more consumers are up in arms over this issue, and companies must control costs to stay in business, this gold standard is difficult to accomplish. But if we are going to deliver on our mission of 100% Customer Success, it’s time to try.

We tossed out our third-party provider and are hiring additional talent. We will achieve our objective and while there will be occasional lapses, the level of service for this basic premise will be world class.

The second premise, ship an order, we do quite well. But it’s not the gold standard. While we invested more than $4 million into SAP since October 2008, only now are we getting to a point where the data is being transformed properly. We still need another 12-18 months. But we now have an effective VP of Purchasing that is closing the gap quickly and positive changes will take place.

If there is one thing every person at TNG knows about me, it’s that I despise being out of stock. Yes, there are times that key suppliers (CND Shellac in this instance) are out of stock and there is nothing we can do. And while we may be in stock 99% of our top 200 items and 97% of everything else, we need to be better. And we will be.

The gold standard is that our customers place an order and that the order ships complete and arrives perfectly intact. This is world class and this is what TNG is known for. We will not disappoint.

The third premise is one that we have refined well and will continue to assist our customers through the “cloud” movement. TNG was first to eliminate shipping C.O.D. (and saving our customers $10.95 per order). TNG was first to use ACH payment (and saving even more fees). TNG was first to send invoices and shipping notifications electronically. When it comes to shipping and payment fees, I can say we are the best in class and will continue to maintain the gold standard and improve yet even more.

I admit it. Our team of over 200 TNG talent admit it too. There is no team more dedicated and focused on achieving the gold standard. The past 25 years has been quite a ride; we are focused like never before on the next 25 years. Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we get back to the gold standard.

When Gallup sent out the survey on our behalf, our customers had to answer the question “Can you imagine a world without TNG.”

When I address a group of people with this question, I typically get the following companies mentioned:

• Apple
• Nike
• Coke
• Costco
• Walmart

Let’s take Apple for instance. If Apple vanished tomorrow, what would Apple users do? How has Apple shaped its customers lives and how much does its customers depend on the company each day?

Yet while Apple is now the biggest tech company value wise, it is getting thumbs down on several issues, recently its antenna problem with its new iPhone 4. Also, people are yapping that Apple is too big to care about its customers like it used to when it was much smaller and that Apple is too corporate. Steve Jobs in fact will address the antenna issue Friday; it will be interesting to get his take on this.

But what if Apple said we did our thing and we are retiring? What if Walmart said they want to be the new high price leader? What if Nike said watching TV is healthier than running so who needs athletic shoes? Can you imagine a Coke drinker drinking Pepsi?

What companies come to mind that you could not live without? I would bet the list would be less than five.

What does it take to be a company people can’t life without? Plenty. I will be talking more about that tomorrow.

In the meantime, TNG has ranked in the top 95th percentile with your customers as it pertains to that question. For that, we are quite proud. As we continue to rock and roll (remember Grand Funk Railroad?), we hope that you could not imagine a world without us.

Happy Thursday!

Creative Nail (CND) no doubt put on the best parties in their early days. Jan Arnold spared no budget and designed elaborate themed rooms with live music, great food, open bar and lots of hubris. Other companies held lavish parties at hotel restaurants and ballrooms all reminiscent when the industry was flourishing and controlled by entrepreneurial owners.

CPNA now mostly caters to chains, retailers, consultants and global companies. When buyers from Sephora, Walgreen’s, CVS and Walmart are roaming the floor as “VIP’s”, you know the professional beauty industry is upside down. And the fun of the show is long gone.

CPNA was also the place that suppliers introduced their latest and greatest products. Not so any more although some attempt the feat. Global companies no longer perceive this show to be important enough to launch a new line.

So what will the hottest products be at CPNA? Organic hair care? Not a chance. A new dryer or flat iron? Rumor has it Babyliss is showcasing something hot, we can always use a new appliance. Shellac knock-offs? Dime a dozen already. Ammonia-free hair color? Yes. And what will the hottest brand be? Na.Yo.

Kemon figured out ammonia-free AND PPD-free hair color first and perfected it with their launch of YO more than 4 years ago. Na.Yo is the next generation of permanent hair color that utilizes an entirely new technology that is not only simple to use, but foolproof.

Available in 44 shades and later in more than 70, the demand for Na.Yo is unprecedented. Our Kemon GM is fully booked at CPNA with distributors wanting Na.Yo and other Kemon products. The USA launch is this September and finally, the industry has something to cheer about that global and retail companies can’t touch.

Happy Wednesday!

They say hindsight is 20/20. It’s fun when bully’s get hurt and this my friends will be as fun as it gets.

Follows is the “pre-press” press release that will be sent out later this week:

TNG Worldwide and label.m have joined forces which is thrilling news for Michigan salons. label.m was founded by none other than Toni Mascolo and his daughter, Sasha Mascolo-Tarbuck. Together along with the label.m Artistic Team, they have developed label.m into a world-class product line with education and trend releases as its main focus.

“This is a very exciting time for us and is reminiscent when we launched TIGI 12 years ago. Toni Mascolo always had his own vision separate from his brothers Anthony and Bruno. Toni is still committed to the hairdresser and we know Toni and his team are thrilled to come to the USA and dazzle our customers,” states Larry Gaynor, President & CEO, TNG Worldwide.

In fact, The Academy at TNG’s World Headquarters will become a major educational center for the label.m brand. “Not only will Toni and Sasha appear, so will many members of the label.m design team including the multi-talented Gary France. Toni and his team continue to develop trends 18 months in advance of fashion so they know what is hot,” comments Gaynor.

The premise of label.m is the 4 C’s: Cleanse, Condition, Create, Complete. Each “C” offers an inclusive family of products composed of exquisite ingredients demanded by today’s hairdressers.

The line is distributed in Michigan by The Industry Source Exclusive sales team. Presently the brand is not available in any of its 20 store locations, but several stores will offer samples and sales support information.

“It’s certainly refreshing to be part of Toni Mascolo’s vision and launching label.m in Michigan. Better yet, launching with TNG will be even more exciting as Larry’s vision fits in perfectly with Toni’s,” states Brian Bennett, VP of Sales for label.m.

The line was launched yesterday with our field sales team and will arrive in our warehouse within two weeks. Oh, I should mention Toni is in his mid-60’s, still cuts hair two days a week, rides the train to work, brown bags his own lunch and is solely interested in building a legacy for his daughter to take over, not sell to a global company. Welcome Toni and Sasha!

Happy Tuesday!

Even after publishing catalogs for more than 25 years, it’s still very exciting when the new one gets through design, editing, proofing and sent to the printer. thebeautybook Fall 2010 Edition hit the streets over the weekend and as I blogged earlier, it’s the debut of our Hospitality division.

The Fall book is 30 pages bigger than the Spring book. Besides Hospitality, there are a lot of other new and fun items to peruse.

• Combs, combs and more combs. Is there any item in professional hair care that gets so little attention? Perhaps it’s time to bring the comb back and into the spotlight! Not only do we now have combs in many colors, styles, but we can add your logo, individually wrap and even come up with a custom color. Combs are also available case pack to pricing is amazing. All from American Comb.
• FHI irons and dryers are back after a brief absence. FHI is rated among the leaders in high end, quality-driven appliances.
• CHI ceramic nail lacquers contain silk and nano silver technology to deliver results. The Industry Source is the exclusive USA distributor.
• Epillyss has been expanded and now includes their ultra hot Novatherm Hard Wax.
• I love the new Black Granite and Stainless Steel pedicure bowls by Pedicure Bowls.
• Mentioned earlier, the new ProLinc Spa Gel Toe Separators can be cooled or heated for ultimate comfort.
• Jessie Steele has a new lineup of smart aprons and capes.

Even with the Internet, people still love catalogs they can hold in their hands and relax with. This one I am sure will be one you spend many hours with. Enjoy.

Happy Monday!