New Leadership for Our Multi-cultural Industry

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, April 2012

The nail industry could use some good news, and I certainly don’t mean the introduction of another gel polish brand. Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate what reputable and innovative manufacturers contribute to our industry. But what manicurists really need we can’t buy from manufacturers, and that’s leadership. Despite being a growing, multi-cultural industry, we lack direction and have a serious image problem. Is it just me, or does it seem that most publicity about nails is bad (toxic chemicals, dirty salons, deadly pedicures, poor customer service, human trafficking, etc.)? Well-intentioned efforts to educate consumers can inadvertently damage our image further when not handled carefully.

Of course, it’s not just manicurists that suffer bad publicity. And the publicity doesn’t even have to be “real.” Have you seen the suggestive ads for the The Client List, an upcoming fictional television series made for Lifetime starring Jennifer Love Hewitt? The insulting characterization of massage therapists as sex workers has generated protests and online petitions to boycott. In defense of the show, Hewitt has been quoted as saying: "I feel badly that they feel offended, but I respect that people need to say what they need to say . . . At the end of the day, though, it's a television series. I'm not saying every massage parlor in the world gives happy endings, nor do I know which ones do, but it is a part of our society. And even if it wasn't, it's just a part of our story. It's entertainment."* I’m not sure that explanation would make me feel any better if I were a (therapeutic) massage professional.

For better, and more often worse, media portrayals of manicurists both reflect and influence how we’re perceived. Consider these characterizations, not so much for their accuracy, but for the powerful messages they convey about our career choice:

• Madge the Manicurist, played by accomplished actress Jan Miner, promoted the use of Palmolive dishwashing liquid with the assurance “You’re soaking in it.” She never lacked for clients at Salon East Beauty Parlor and had a longer career than most manicurists (1966-1992).
• Ms. (Bunny) Swan, played by Alex Borstein on MADtv, worked at the Gorgeous Pretty Beauty Nail Salon. Though somewhat ambiguous, her ethnicity was often perceived as Asian. She was known for her questionable language skills and frumpy work attire. Who can forget that colorful checkered smock with foot appliques that always covered her floral print dresses?
• Paulette Bonafonté, played by Jennifer Coolidge in Legally Blonde, was the insecure and unfashionable manicurist who befriends law student Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon). She’s best remembered for learning the “bend and snap” to attract a man, not so much for doing great nails.
• Anjelah Johnson became famous for her stand-up routine in which she described  having her nails done by “Tammy,” a Vietnamese manicurist at Beautiful Nail. Johnson joined the cast of MADtv as a featured player and her videos have more than 50 million views on YouTube.
• Katie Cazorla stars in Nail Files, the first reality show based in a nail salon. While not a licensed manicurist herself, she and her staff at The Painted Nail (located in Sherman Oaks, California) earned ratings worthy of a second season premiering this summer.

As manicurists, we’ve allowed ourselves to be relegated into a position of inferiority, even within the beauty industry. We reinforce this by apologizing for our work as “Just nails;” I wouldn’t expect Robert Cromeans or Vivienne Mackinder to say “I only do hair.” We’ll never achieve a more favorable public image if we don’t value ourselves and respect our colleagues. In last month’s column, I encouraged licensees and salon owners to advocate for our industry, particularly at the state level. But we need to proceed with integrity and fairness, and without prejudice. We cannot tolerate derogatory and divisive language related to cultural, socio-economic and/or gender stereotypes (words such as “Oriental/Asian,” “chop shop,” “white-trash,” “ghetto,” “bimbo” or “gay”). I’ve heard this language used by both consumers and professionals as they make broad generalizations about the nail industry. Whether derived from prejudice or limited experience, it’s entirely unfair and serves no purpose other than to perpetuate negative stereotypes.

Our responsibilities as licensees do not change according to our backgrounds or circumstances; we all must follow the applicable laws and regulations. Anyone who wants to be a nail professional and/or salon owner must meet the minimum standards, whatever those may be in your particular state. If those standards do not prevent incompetent licensees from entering the workforce or ignorant owners from operating salons, don’t blame the licensees, the owners, the beauty schools or the examination. The fault lies with the governmental agency that established the standards in the first place. Mediocrity should not be the standard; we should expect more of ourselves and consumers deserve better. The good news? California’s state board recently elected a licensed manicurist and salon owner, Christie Truc Tran, as president. With her leadership, I expect that we’ll make significant progress in unifying as nail professionals and advancing our best interests.

* Reported by Jay Bobbin of Zap2it on March 1, 2012.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Advocacy is Your Right

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, March 2012

Observing yet another quarterly meeting of California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (BBC), I can’t help but have some strong opinions. After all, the issues being addressed in this particular meeting, like health and safety regulations, enforcement procedures and unlicensed activity, directly affect how I do business. Other members of the audience have their own opinions, and that’s one of the main advantages of being at this meeting: the opportunity to share our opinions on the record. In California, the BBC must hold public meetings to facilitate transparency and accountability. To make the meetings even more accessible, they’re simultaneously webcast and later archived on the BBC website. That means I could watch the proceedings from the comfort of my home, even months later. Instead, I choose to be present, no matter what’s on the agenda or how far I must travel. Even when I don’t speak on the record, my presence at these meetings demonstrates my commitment to fair and reasonable governance.

Those unfamiliar with state regulatory agencies may be disappointed to learn that it’s not the government’s responsibility to promote our profession. We have national organizations for that purpose, chiefly the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) which also encompasses the National Cosmetology Association (NCA). As worthwhile as these organizations are, their resources and influence on state governments are limited. It would be different if there were national standards, testing and licensure, but that’s not the case. The fact is individual states protect consumers by regulating us, state by state. To influence how that’s accomplished, we need more salon owners and licensees to participate at the state level, rather than depend on others to advocate for us. We know protecting consumers and promoting our profession are mutually beneficial, rather than exclusive, goals. It only makes sense because strong consumer protection validates our education, licensure and the enforcement of rules and regulations, especially those dealing with health and safety. Who better to protect our interests as beauty professionals, taxpayers, consumers and residents in our respective states than ourselves?

Over the years, I’ve heard so many complaints about inadequate training, outdated exams, incompetent licensees, infrequent inspections, unfair competition, etc., it makes me wonder if any state board does its job well? If not, why bother with licensing at all? Apparently, others have asked the same question and determined that it wasn’t necessary. Recent proposals in Florida, Indiana and New Hampshire to deregulate the beauty profession have prompted professionals to react vehemently to protect their licensing. While that’s encouraging, it’s not enough. To be a more powerful influence on state government, our involvement should be lasting and proactive, not temporary and reactive. If the powers that be only see and/or hear from professionals under the most extreme circumstances, it diminishes our potential impact. Rather than merely complain, consider what you could do to help your board improve. We could accomplish so much more working collaboratively with our state boards, expressing our support or criticism appropriately and respectfully. Building a collaborative relationship with your state board begins with reaching out. The internet makes this easy; there are numerous online resources to learn out about upcoming meetings, proposed regulations and other opportunities to contribute, like being a subject matter expert or serving on an advisory committee. Your professional expertise can help your board develop and implement better policies.

Interacting directly with board members and staff will give you perspective on current policies, and the reasoning and history behind them, whether you agree or not. I have concerns (some minor, others major) about nearly every aspect of my state board’s purview: scope of practice, health and safety, curriculum, beauty schools, written and practical examinations, licensing fees, booth rental, inspections, enforcement and continuing education. There’s plenty of room for improvement, but policies evolve at a much slower pace than our industry does. The constraints (financial, legal, political, etc.) under which state boards operate limit their ability to change. For example, in California, we desperately need more salon inspectors and support staff, and have the money to fund these positions, but a hiring freeze imposed by our governor makes that difficult, if not impossible, at this time.

If we must be regulated, I demand to be regulated fairly and reasonably. For your individual awareness and our collective interests, I encourage you to learn more about the legislative issues affecting our profession. Write directly to the executive officer of your board, the agency overseeing your board, your state legislators and your governor. Attend board meetings and volunteer. Share your concerns and suggestions with other beauty professionals through networking, trade publications and social media. Discuss your involvement with your clients; these are the consumers your board is supposed to protect. For me, advocacy means expressing my opinions judiciously, supported with facts, no matter how unpopular or contradictory to current policy. My opinion counts, as does yours. Advocacy is your right; please use it, wisely.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Building Your Own Online Resource

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, February 2012

Selecting a favorite online resource would be easy if there were one that offers everything I want and need. Because that’s not possible, I’ll take a more pragmatic approach and admit that my favorite resources belong to financial institutions (my bank, credit card companies, etc.). There’s nothing “beauty” about their websites, but they serve their purpose well. These sites provide personalized, timely and necessary information, as well as functionality like online bill payment, that I depend on as a business owner. I visit regularly, often daily, to update my finances and make decisions that affect my salon.

Speaking of my salon, it has an online presence also, and I’m not referring to a Facebook page. Many salons have websites; that’s not uncommon. However, there’s a distinction to be made between a simplistic and static site that includes little more than contact information, and a complex and dynamic one that provides visitors more relevant and unique content. Some salon owners will not, or can not, make the investment required to have a more substantial website, if any at all. What a missed opportunity! Building and maintaining a website that others consider a resource is a great way to promote your salon.

The most affordable (at only about $10 a year) and simplest step in the process is the first one, registering a domain name. Lucky for me, my salon name with a “.com” address was available back in 2000. Had it not been, I would have been very reluctant to hyphenate, misspell or otherwise vary the name. Consistency and convenience are important considerations when registering a domain; it needs to be easy to find.

To build the site, I initially considered doing it myself, but quickly determined that I had neither the time, talent nor desire to master the existing software. Assuming that a professional web designer would be too expensive, I made a critical mistake and hired an enthusiastic college student with limited experience. When the process stalled after a few months, I did my research (better late than never) and learned that the design services of a local, emerging firm were more affordable than I thought. I quickly corrected my hiring mistake, and the process restarted in earnest.

Working with a professional web designer proved a very positive experience. Our collaborative process involved many discussions about the purpose of the website: to provide a convenient way for potential clients to learn about the salon. To this end, I wrote all the content (service descriptions and pricing, salon policies, nail care advice, etc.) and the designer did his part to create an attractive and navigable website. In the years since its launch, the website has expanded with the addition of FAQs, a blog, online booking, a shopping cart and consulting information. Regular updates keep the content fresh for visitors who find us through search engines, links from other websites and email marketing.

As expected, my salon website became the most cost-effective way to reach potential clients. But even when something appears to be working, improvements can be made. At a certain point, updates and minor revisions are not enough to get the job done. For example, this time last year, my salon marketing materials (brochure, gift card, business cards, etc.) needed a complete redesign. In the past, I’d always managed without a graphic designer by working directly with a local print shop. But when my expectations outpaced my capabilities, I knew it was time to hire another professional. Together, we produced new materials with a more cohesive, vibrant and sophisticated appearance. Having done that, the website obviously needed a redesign also; it looked tired in comparison.

Thanks to the hard work of my graphic designer, the design of the website (colors, fonts, images, layout, etc.) now aligns with the new salon materials. More important, the website serves multiple purposes; it contains information tailored to potential clients and beauty professionals, separately and collectively. For clients, we simplified the services menu and reservations process, reworked the FAQs, added a complete listing of our polish selection and recommended local services, organizations and businesses.

For professionals, we created an entirely new area accessed by login. Previously, I’d shared product recommendations, service procedures and upcoming events by sending newsletters upon request. Because email marketing has its limitations (timeliness, reader/list fatigue, inbox deliverability, list churn, etc.), it seemed a far better solution to post this information directly on the website. Once registered, professionals will find: nail-related articles from the Stylist, my favorite professional products and services, a comprehensive schedule of beauty shows, networking events and classes and step-by-step instructions for my most popular services, like waterless spa manicures and pedicures. I don’t expect my salon’s website to be anyone else’s favorite. It certainly won’t please everyone or meet all their needs, but as long as it serves my purposes, it’s worthwhile. Check it out at www.precisionnails.com.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.