Tom Harris, Lead Director of Education for the Panico Salons of Northern New Jersey, holds regular workshops to "Train the Trainers", who then go on to train the stylists in the Panico family. Every Tuesday night 200 stylists come from the three Panico Salons (Ridgewood, West Caldwell and Oradell) to learn from Harris and the three other Directors: Peter Benvenuto, Angelo Pacente and Paul Emma.
"I know for a fact that our internal education is the reason Panico Salons are so successful," says Harris. "These hairdressers, all talented already, perfect their skills and learn more about the foundations of cut, style and color and all about the Panico system." The system has been developed by salon owner Jack Panico and Harris, blending the top programs from the top educators around the world. "We've taken all this knowledge and tweaked it to best fit our community. It is why so many hairdressers want to work for Panico and why we have so many satisfied clients."
As Lead Director, Harris makes efforts to keep on top of trend. "I actively pursue inspiration and continue to get more advanced education myself," he says. "It's more than just flipping through magazines. It's seeing what's happening on the street, on the runways and really getting out there and observing."
When asked about the greatest challenge when educating the Panico team, Harris says it is as simple as getting uniform partings. "Our goal is to make sure we are all on the same page. What I see as a diagonal parting is what everyone else should see as a diagonal parting. We want to make sure we are all following our own system and all have the same skill set."
The Panico team plans to make their system and academy available to all stylists. "It's in the works," says Harris. "We are about six months away from having it all set. Our goal is to help all stylists create beautiful hair and reach their fullest potential."
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