The smoothing service category continues to grow and Sonya Raubeson, Director of Education for Keratin Complex, believes that if you can smooth it, they will come.

 “The cornerstone of who we are is smoothing therapy,” says Raubeson. “In 2007, when we launched, it was the ‘great recession’ and we saw a lot of beauty businesses struggling. And here we were, introducing a bottle of product that costs over $300.00 and a service that costs about the same amount. People would say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ But it worked because Keratin Complex worked.”

 In 2014, Keratin Complex will have a new facility with an Academy, new launches and new course offerings. To share their texture-taming message, Raubeson and her in-house team of three oversee approximately 150 Field Educators. These hairdressers are pre-screened and selected by their local distributor.

 “Our education has been completely revamped as a result of listening to our team of educators and feedback from the field,” says Raubeson. “We were hearing from our in-salon education and our VIP distributor events that our educators felt too scripted. They felt like they didn’t’ have the ability to make the class their own. Stylists are very creative types and so we took that feedback and updated our education platform to give them the ability to customize and adapt any course while they are in the field. “

 In addition to smoothing how-to’s or color theory, classes are taught in salon business, professional development, resume preparation and how to make the sale.

 “It’s a service industry and a retail industry. We help them have a dialogue with their client,” says Raubeson. “It’s great to have a satisfied client but at the end of the day, I need to have a loyal client, I need them to refer me. The best way to ensure this is to give unique services and create partnerships.”

 Keratin Complex added color to their portfolio and, Deb Gavin, multi-award winning NAHA artist, has joined them as International Artistic Director of Color Therapy. “Deb knows how to get hairstylists thinking outside the color wheel. She helps us reach out to all the different learning styles. We’re more adaptive than we once were.”

 Martino Cartier, an engaging platform presence, represents Keratin Complex as their International Artistic Director. These leading artists are inspiring hairdressers every day, some of whom go onto join the Keratin Complex team. What does Raubeson require in her new recruits?

 “Passion. Talent can be developed but I can’t put passion into you--passion for your industry, passion for your clients. We look for people who have a desire to share and to make the world more beautiful.”

 www.keratincomplex.com