Along with nearly 900 Sexy Hair salons, hairdressers and distributor-partners, I attended the Sexy Hair International Conference held in Los Angeles, January 22-27.  It was a celebration of the successes of 2012 and sharing the good news for 2013.   Here’s what people were saying:

“The theme for 2013 is Versatility.  Each year, we try to identify a theme that will describe our direction and activities for the year.  It came to me when I looked at my own personal style. The salon today can’t afford to cater to just one kind of customer.  With each hairdresser, comes a following of diverse clientele.”

“Within the last four years, in the midst of a lackluster retail environment, we managed to grow. All our launches of 2012 over-achieved our projections.  We’re lucky to have added considerable talent, predominantly in education and sales.”

--CEO and President, Karl Heinz Pitsch,

 “Each year we introduce products, trends and our system of cutting (structure and motion) but why not have multiple sexy styled because we’re not one-dimensional people.  We want hairdressers to give their clients that little bit of a nudge and cast aside the mindset of fitting in. So, to all you stylists, I challenge you to embrace change because it’s how we grow, discover and learn.”

“No matter where you hang your shears, you’re running a business and that business is you.”

—Artistic Director, Rafe Hardy

 “The media landscape is constantly changing so Sexy Hair has to be high tech and high touch.  As much as you can “app” this or text that you really do want personal experiences. The new Sexy Hair App is true to the DNA of Sexy Hair—it’s innovative, fun, edgy, fashionable but not too serious.”

--Vice President of Sales and Education, Jennifer Wiederman

“I’ve been with Sexy Hair for 13 years and I never forgot where I started. I can put myself in the place of every young stylist, I don’t talk down to them and I never see a separation between them and me. I tell them that we are so fortunate as hairdressers because we get to touch people and to change every person that comes to our chair for the better.”

Sexy Hair Master Artist of the Year, Mary Ramsey from Angola, Indiana

“How many of you are textually active?”

--Sloane La Martina, Director of Corporate Communications

“Every year, there is so much to learn and so much to experience.  This year, I’m so excited about the new Spray and Clay.”

--Connie Sutherland from Teazers Salon in Vancouver, Washington

 “We call them our road warriors. They fly from country to country. These artists are truly gifted. “

--Marlene Amezcua, Director of Education and Shows (on her international artists)

“Other than nature, everything on planet earth must be designed.”

--Creative Director, Stephanie Gorenson

“Every four seconds, a can of Spray and Play is sold.”

Cynthia Dart, Director of Trade Marketing and Karina Lutzy, Director of Branding and New Product Development