Rodrick Samuels on The Silent Work, Modern Beauty Education and Why Empathy Wins
MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.
by Anne Moratto
Finding a Vō -Cation and Mentor at Kim Vō Salon
At a recent event at Kim Vo Salon at the Montage in Beverly Hills, Brittney Pullman, Vo ’s assistant and Taebastian, a salon stylist, shared their enthusiasm for working where they feel valued and where they are learning so much of ...
April 22, 2015
HAPPY AT WORK: Taebastian, Brittney Pullman and Kim Vō
2 min to read
At a recent event at Kim Vō Salon at the Montage in Beverly Hills, Brittney Pullman, Vō ’s assistant and Taebastian, a salon stylist, shared their enthusiasm for working where they feel valued and where they are learning so much of great value.
Pullman comes from a beauty background; her mother owns a salon in Northern California. When she started looking for work after graduating from Paul Mitchell Beauty School, she set her sites on Kim Vō's salon. “I wanted to work with someone that I could really respect and learn from,” said Pullman. “There wasn’t a position open when I first checked in so I just waited and kept asking. Kim is the best boss and a genuinely good person. I learn from him that you can achieve so much and still be nice to everyone.”
Her advice to assistants:
Never say “No”—“Anything they ask you to do just do it to the best of your abilities.”
Ask questions.
Be open to criticism.
Really know what you want to do and focus on that—“Know what path you want to go down. Do you want to be an educator, do you want to own a salon? Have a clear understanding of what you want in the industry.”
Always have a positive attitude—“Kim is the most positive person I have ever met. If I didn’t have a good attitude, we wouldn’t mesh well.”
Taebastian, also a Paul Mitchell grad, has been at Kim Vō for eight years. He had scrupulous, precise training under Peter Van De Velde at Kim Vō and he wouldn’t let him so much as shampoo a client for three months. “He wanted me to learn control and how to establish that connection,” said Bastian. “When I started working with Kim, he told me to find someone you want to be like and do everything they do and become like them. I look up to Kim because of what he has created and because his energy is so contagious. It rubs off on you and you want to be like that. We work with incredible people and I look forward to coming to work every single day.”
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