As we all know, we are in one of the most innovative and fastest changing industries of all time: the salon industry, of course. Hopefully these changes are for the better, making salons and stylists’ lives healthier and safer behind the chair.
The forces behind these changes are numerous. Each salon professional contributes to the whole of changing the beauty industry, so in honor of International Women’s Day, we’ve compiled a list of 5 modern-day women who are shaking up the industry in a myriad of ways.
Read on to learn about influential women trailblazers changing the salon industry!
Jose Bryce Smith
A true pioneer in the modern-day world of cleaner, low-tox hair care and color is our very own Jose Bryce Smith.
Jose, a native Australian, has always been passionate about living a holistic lifestyle. When she entered the salon industry and saw just how harmful and harsh the chemicals that filled popular professional products and color were, she knew she change needed to be done—and that’s how Original &Mineral was born.
Jose and her former partner opened the first ammonia-free salon in Australia over two decades ago. In 2010 the O&M care and styling line was born and the O&M Method truly took shape. This is what we all know today as their “Free From Five” ethos, a promise of NO damaging sulphates, parabens, propylene glycol, MIT or triclosan in O&M’s product formulation.
Now, Original & Mineral has expanded and grown to develop a revolutionary color line called CØR.color. CØR.color strives to provide the cleanest professional hair color in the world. The color line utilizes O&M’s signature Desert Harvest Blend and uses the groundbreaking technology called Molecular Blend Technology (MBT) which pre-links color pigments for ammonia, PPD and resorcinol-free color.
O&M HQ in Sydney, Australia. Image source: styleicons.com
These days, you can find Jose at the O&M Headquarters in Sydney, Australia where the team continues to research and formulate safe, effective and beautiful salon solutions. We’re proud to recognize her as one of the women changing the salon industry.
Tabatha Coffey
Tabatha Coffey has made strides not only as one of the women changing the salon industry, but in building her brand into an all-around business empire.
Born in Australia, Tabatha had her first big break on the popular TV show Shear Genius. After great success there, she continued her reality TV show career, starring in Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. The hit series has now evolved into the popular show Tabatha Takes Over.
She was so influential in the resurrection of struggling salon businesses that she was able to expand her business prowess and acumen to industries of all kinds. From bake shops to boutiques, there doesn’t seem to be any company Tabatha can’t help turn around.
Today, Tabatha has made herself known as an expert on business growth, market trends and entrepreneurial ideas for business improvement and growth. Her no-nonsense approach is one of her most sought after assets.
At Tabatha’s heart of hearts is a deep love for hair. She still works as a hairdresser and educator around the world. She also frequents and leads staff at her own salon Industrie Hair Gurus founded in 2001.
Whether you’re a salon owner, a stylist or a business woman of any kind, Tabatha’s television shows, expert interviews, books or online articles are great sources of advice. That no-nonsense attitude will help motivate you on your career path.
Beth Minardi is a hair color extraordinaire, if you will.
There’s so much more to professional salon hair color than the average client knows—the production and formulation process of a single line has more components than could ever meet the eye. Beth knows all about this, as she has helped many companies design and formulate their own color lines.
Beth was interested in color ever since she was a little girl. One of her greatest influences was her aunt, who was an extremely talented painter and would freely share her passion with Beth.
Beth went on to obtain a degree in Education, then attend cosmetology school. Now, as a celebrity hair stylist, Beth has helped to elevate and popularize hair painting as an art form. Her expertise as a chemist and hair painter puts her on our list as one of the iconic women changing the salon industry.
“Beauty professionals give so much from our hearts, souls, hands and heads, and help our clients feel better every day. We must be highly skilled in both chemistry and art and deserve to be regarded in the highest esteem. I have dedicated my career to helping us all elevate that perception.” – Beth Minardi
Kimberly Kimble
Kim Kimble embodies the life of a celebrity hairstylist. Her list of clientele boasts some of Hollywood’s most notable names, including Whitney Houston, Beyoncé Knowles, Zendaya, Mary J. Blige, Tyra Banks, Vanessa Williams, Kerry Washington and Shakira. In fact, she is Beyonce’s primary stylist for her movie, television and music projects after styling the star’s locks in “Austin Powers: Goldmember.”
Kim is amazingly a third generation hairdresser. Her mother owned and operated a salon in LA where Kim grew up. It was there, in her mother’s salon, where Kim got her first work experience as a shampoo girl.
Along with styling celebrities hair, Kim has appeared on a number of popular Hollywood TV shows including Shear Genius and even Tabatha’s Salon Takeover! Now, she fills her time with running her own product and hair care line, managing her salon Kimble Hair Studio in California that she opened in 2000 and maintaining the manes of her clientele.
Once Kim’s work hit the scene in Hollywood, there has been no slowing her down. She is simply talented at her craft and has worked hard to hone her unique craft. She continues to create styles of new heights as a woman changing the salon industry.
If you’ve heard Sally Hershberger’s name, it’s probably somewhat in relation to the infamous shag cut she gave Meg Ryan in 1990’s. Hershberger’s career has been much like that infamous cut: huge opportunities and wild rides merging together to create quite an interesting and exciting life.
Hershberger went to cosmetology school not with the goal to become a hairstylist, but to get a job working with celebrity stylist Arthur Johns. Johns was doing Olivia Newton-John’s hair at the time.
From there, she went on tour with Newton-John styling her hair. While on tour she met Herb Ritz and did a collaboration with him—and the rest is history!
Hershberger has quite a few things on her plate. She has a hair care line with 11 products, a skincare line, a clothing brand, 3 salons in New York and 1 in LA and over 150 employees to manage. Plus, she’s the stylist for tons of celebrities including Miley Cyrus. On average, Hershberg says she cuts around 30 heads of hair a week!
To keep all her ducks in a row and maintain her mental health, Hershberger is an avid practitioner of meditation. She has a meditation teacher who she’s been following since the 1980’s, visits ashrams every so often to keep everything in tip-top shape—mind, body and soul.
“If I play hard I have to be disciplined later. A balanced life is a good. I think that’s how I accomplish a lot, making sure I take care of myself so I can handle what comes in front of me.” – Sally Hershberger
Meg Ryan’s famous “Sally Shag” by Sally Hershberger. Image source: shmoop.com
