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Welcome to Suite Independence, the podcast designed exclusively for established beauty professionals ready to transform their careers and build the salon business of their dreams. Hosted by industry veteran Kristin Kienzle, founder of Utopia Modern Salon Suites, this show is your essential guide to thriving independently in the beauty world.
Kristin, with over 34 years of experience, understands the unique challenges and incredible opportunities you face. She created Utopia to be a supportive, inspiring community where independent beauty professionals can flourish, and this podcast extends that mission directly to you.
Forget the styling tips; we're diving deep into the business and personal development aspects that truly empower your success. Each episode offers insight, inspiration, and clarity to help you succeed and build your career in a healthy way. Whether you're looking to grow your client base, refine your business strategy, enhance your financial literacy, prioritize your well-being, or ultimately own your own salon, Kristin shares the wisdom and actionable advice you need.
Join a community dedicated to empowering beauty professionals to reach their full potential, ensuring their businesses thrive and afford them the lifestyle they desire. Tune into Suite Independence and start building the vibrant career and fulfilling life you deserve.
Ep15
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[00:00:00]
Staying Relevant
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Kristin Kienzle: In today's episode, we're going to talk about how the industry is always changing and how it's important to stay relevant as things evolve.
Kristin Kienzle: Welcome to the podcast.
Meet Schrene Davis
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Kristin Kienzle: Today we are here at the Paul Mitchell School with Schrene Davis, the owner. Thank you for having us.
Schrene Davis: Well, thank you for asking me. It's my pleasure.
Kristin Kienzle: Sure. Tell us, I wanna know everything about how you got started from cosmetology school to here you are at. Owning three schools.
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm. [00:01:00] Yeah.
Small Town Beginnings
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Schrene Davis: Sometimes I feel like it's like accidental leadership really. You know, I never really had like a long-term plan or a vision. Like we were just discussing off the pod. Kind of my background is I grew up in Western Kansas and you know, that's not where dreams are made. I really wasn't thinking that.
Where am I? I was, I was thinking I need to get outta here about what's the path outta here? I really don't know. And I was just saying since we're a school that offers financial aid just like a lot of the parents that bring their kids in, they're just unaware of what FAFSA is and what financial aid can offer as an opportunity to go to school through grants and loans.
I grew up and my parents didn't go to college, and they were unaware that there was assistance to help with college. Mm-hmm. And so I'm the oldest kid of four, and so my parents had always just said, I, I don't know what you're gonna do unless you figure out a way to make a lot of money or whatever.
College is probably not gonna be in the cards. And so I really didn't dream about. What it was it that I liked to do, what did I [00:02:00] do? I, I really just had no vision. And so when I got to my senior year and I felt like kids were just making those commitments of where they were gonna go to college, I really just felt kinda lost.
Like, I don't know. And so my mom was the one that's.
Choosing Cosmetology
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Schrene Davis: Said, well, you've always liked to do hair and makeup. You would do everybody's hair for prom and homecoming and makeup, and you like to do your own hair, so why don't you go to hair school? And I was like, oh, okay. Well is there one here? And so I went to Garden City Community College and what's kind of funny is I was always a cheerleader, like a lifelong diehard cheerleader. And so what's funny is I could go to Garden City Community College on a cheerleading scholarship, but go to cosmetology school.
And my kids are disgusted by that. They're like, don't tell people you're a cheerleader. How embarrassing. And
Kristin Kienzle: I think it's
cool.
Schrene Davis: Oh yeah, I enjoyed it. Yeah. I had fun. I liked it. I did get a. Full volleyball scholarship, but I felt like I related more to the cheerleaders than I did the volleyball players, especially in the eighties.
I feel like things have changed now 'cause my younger daughter has done volleyball and they [00:03:00] look like girly girls, where back in the day
Kristin Kienzle: mm-hmm.
Schrene Davis: I didn't really fit in with all the hairspray and stuff I had going on with the eighties hair. So, yeah. So that led me to cosmetology school.
Early Lessons In School
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Schrene Davis: When I was in cosmetology school, I absolutely hated it.
And I always tell the students here because, you know, I feel like what's so important about this industry is just having some freedom of expression. And just kind of being who you are. And I feel like that's what clients are most attracted to, is really you as the person. And I always tell them that they're gonna give you a chance if you did a bad haircut or a bad perm or bad color.
It's you that they really enjoy, so they're gonna give you another opportunity to Correct that and try to grow with them. So when I was in cosmetology school and doing cheerleading, I was totally enjoying that.
But what's funny is I started dating a guy that was very career-minded and he was just like, are you just gonna like cut hair for the rest of your life? Like, what's that gonna do? Are you really gonna make money with. That and I was like I don't really know. You know, like I said, think so. I had had no real, I was like, I don't really know what I'm doing with it.
I was [00:04:00] just taking it one day at a time. That's basically all I was doing.
College And Moving
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Schrene Davis: And so then I thought, well, maybe I do need to go back to college. So once I was on a college campus, I got educated on. FAFSA and the opportunity to take loans or whatever. And so I thought, okay, as soon as I'm done with cosmetology school, I'll go on and start taking classes.
And that's what I did. I started taking my general eds. But that relationship led me to Springfield, Missouri because he was playing football for. Missouri State, which at the time it was called Southwest Missouri State. So it was SMS and so I was like, okay, let's go to Springfield. I felt like Springfield was such a big city compared to where I grew up.
And
Kristin Kienzle: where did you grow up?
Schrene Davis: In Holcomb, right outside of Garden City. Okay. Yeah, so super tiny. My graduating class was like 39 people. The whole high school was probably 150 people. Oh, wow. And so teeny tiny. And so I loved it. When I went to, at the time, I think Missouri State was maybe about 15,000.
And I loved just being on a campus with lots of people that didn't know your name. Mm-hmm. And didn't know where you're from. Know you're. [00:05:00]
Kristin Kienzle: Siblings,
Schrene Davis: your whole family. Yes. Yes, exactly. I'm the oldest. Now my siblings say they got called me or, oh, I remember your sister. You know, I don't know what that's like since I'm the oldest child.
But yeah, so that kind of just led me out of Kansas into Missouri.
Salon Life And Mentors
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Schrene Davis: But what's great is you know, I transferred my license over to Missouri. Got a job that was more like a chain salon, just cutting hair. And that kind of helped me get out of the hump because this is what I always tell students here, if you don't use what you learn, you're really gonna lose it.
You gotta put it to work right away. And I kind of waited about a year, so.
Kristin Kienzle: So you did hair while you were in college?
Schrene Davis: I ended up doing that. Okay. You know, while I went back and got my general ed, at first I wasn't. I was just working little odd jobs. JC Penneys had a job there and my mom was just like, why don't you get your license?
Why don't you get your license? Well, I just kind of got afraid 'cause I'd waited about a year and she was just like, we're gonna get your license renewed in Missouri. And so I finally went and got a job and I found that a lot of salons, you know, just offer a lot of education and guidance and, and things like that.
It was a commission salon [00:06:00] and you know, I think. Everybody these days feels like, oh, you know, you wanna work for yourself. Mm-hmm. Or be out on your own. But I feel like there's a lot of value in working around people and in a place that's gonna help drive in business and walk-ins. So you don't have to think about that.
So that is what I ended up doing. The four years that I was in college. I ended up going booth rent eventually. But I stayed the first couple years just working for a chain salon that was there in Springfield and then ended up going booth rent with some friends on my own at a salon. What's funny is we were just kind of a group of young people working in a salon with a lot of older people, but that was great because they could kind of hold your hand.
Several of 'em were educators for some brands, and when I was. In the back trying to formulate color and freaking out. They were there to walk me through it and kind of hold my hand and gimme confidence and stuff. It's
Kristin Kienzle: a good way to learn work ethic too.
Schrene Davis: Yeah,
Kristin Kienzle: right. Working around older people.
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Schrene Davis: Yep. They really poured into us and it was a good nurturing, supportive salon.
Before Instagram Hustle
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Schrene Davis: You know, I know there can be a lot of negative salon [00:07:00] culture, but this was really positive and this was really, you know, this was before the days of the internet or cell phones. Mm-hmm. And so you really just had to.
Beat the streets and you know, put it out there to build your clientele the hard way. And so,
Kristin Kienzle: yeah, my first job outta school was at Regis in the mall. Mm-hmm. And it's scary to think back to the things that I did to people's hair. I had no idea what I was doing.
Schrene Davis: Pulling full through a cap
Kristin Kienzle: and then perming it.
Yes. And then having the hair fall out into the sink and on the rods. But you know, that's interesting that you say that because back then we had to do that. We had to have the foot traffic because there was no Instagram. Or any other way we handed out business cards or worked in a place like that.
Schrene Davis: Just word
Kristin Kienzle: of mouth. I feel like those places are, they still exist, but we tend to forget about 'em. Because we can build on Instagram, build a presence and a clientele.
Schrene Davis: Yep. So much easier these days.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah, they do have it. They have it. Good. I don't know though, there was a lot to be said for just burning hair and figuring it out.
Schrene Davis: That's right. My hair was definitely that. I always had to [00:08:00] bleach it out as light blonde as possible and then perm over it. I'm surprised I even had any hair. You can see my cosmetology photos and scary.
Kristin Kienzle: That's funny.
Schrene Davis: I'm always amazed at the students that can start here with really long hair and end here with really long hair.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Schrene Davis: What I liked about licensing in Missouri is that you had to have your photo on your license, and so we would keep all the student licenses in the hallway. And so if you were trying to reference somebody who could go out there and see their photo, but it was so fun to see the photo and then see what they looked like when they graduated.
Yeah. Here in Kansas, we don't have to have photos on the license, but it is funny to see their journey. But we do take photos of everybody on their first day and then we take photos and clap 'em out when they graduate. And so you can see the progression or some of 'em, there's some of 'em that are able to hold onto that beautiful long hair.
I don't know how they do it. They resist. Yeah, don't either.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. I think I tried everything in cosmetology school.
Schrene Davis: Me too. From. I mean, lightening my eyebrows to whatever. Yeah. I went through like a strawberry blonde [00:09:00] phase. Yeah. You can look at the history and the photos for sure. That's pretty
Kristin Kienzle: fun. It's So tell me more about your career.
How you, how you got from where you left off to.
From Stylist To Rep
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Schrene Davis: So then that landed me in Springfield and after college. I actually ended up working for Aveda at the time. Aveda had what they called boutiques and so they used distributors at the time
and so I actually ended up managing it would be basically a beauty supply, but it was Aveda products and then the distributor there had a licensing to. To carry other things. And so they ended up shutting those down. And so then I ended up getting a job with Salon Service Group who sold Paul Mitchell, but they only had Paul Mitchell in certain regions of Missouri.
And so I ended up being the Paul Mitchell sales rep. For those regions. And then I could sell other things, other brands and other regions. But that's what I ended up primarily focusing on. Mm-hmm. And so when I became the rep, it just kind of opened my world to John Paul Mitchell Systems and some of the chain salons.[00:10:00]
I'd used the product, but I really didn't know much about the company. Mm-hmm. I mean, I knew who John Paul was and I knew who Paul Mitchell was because back in cosmetology school we would watch videos of Paul Mitchell cutting hair on the beach in Hawaii. And then we
Kristin Kienzle: didn't do that at my school.
Schrene Davis: Oh, really?
Yes. No, we didn't watch the VHS tapes. Oh. We actually had a little TV on wheels and so Oh yeah. We'd have little segments where we'd watch it and I always just thought, that's amazing. And we'd see videos of hair shows and stuff like that, but. You know, that seemed way out of my league to be able to tap into that.
But and then Paul Mitchell died, I think, while I was in cosmetology school. I think it was in 1989 of pancreatic cancer. And so I only knew just a little bit of history but working for the brand I actually just got to know the company so well.
Discovering Paul Mitchell Schools
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Schrene Davis: And so I would go to a gathering, which was their yearly celebration and education for hairstylist.
And so as being the rep, I'd get to go to sales camp, which was a few days prior to that, and I just happened to be there and they [00:11:00] had a segment where. Students would come and give us services and they were just promoting, the first school was opened in Costa Mesa. Mm-hmm. And so that was a collaboration between Win Augh and John Paul DeJoria.
And so I met these students. They gave us like some tea tree services. They brought literally. The wash bowls on the stage and you could go up there and get services and I was just like, these are students. I just couldn't believe it. Just their professionalism, their knowledge. I just thought, I never got that in cosmetology school.
Mm-hmm. I really graduated feeling like, I literally feel like I don't know anything. I just didn't feel prepared to be in the salon, especially business wise. Mm-hmm. I just felt like, I don't know what's going on. And you know how it is when you have to be in charge of your own taxes? I just felt like that beat me up and ate my lunch and I was just like, oh, I don't know if I wanna do that.
That was one of the reasons why I went to different parts of the industry. 'cause I just. Didn't wanna pay booth rent, didn't wanna be responsible for my own taxes. All that pressure I felt like took away from the creativity that really [00:12:00] led me down that path. And so, I really was thinking as a sales rep, like this school concept is something we need here in Missouri, in our areas.
It was only like little mom and pop beauty schools and I really. Didn't like the beauty school I went to, but when I lived in Missouri and called on these beauty schools, I had a new appreciation because since it was in a state funded school, we had a nice facility, we had great educators that were wonderful.
They kept the classes super small. I didn't have to go to school on Saturdays. It was like Monday through Friday, and so I realized, wow. And so calling on these schools in Missouri, I mean they were just. I mean, people were still smoking TVs on the sta, like I was just like sometimes carpeted areas. It was just super crazy.
And then I got to know the whole salon community by being a sales rep. And the thing I heard consistently was. We can't hire anyone that is trained, like no one is an asset. We have to totally [00:13:00] reteach everyone that we hire that absolutely know nothing. These schools are teaching them nothing. And so then I was like,
Kristin Kienzle: except
how to pass boards
Schrene Davis: Yeah. Except how to pass boards It was the bare minimum. And Missouri. Was quite different in their licensure than Kansas. The tests were just easier. They just made it simpler to get to licensure so schools could function on a pretty low level and still, you know, they had nowhere else to go.
They had to pay to go there. And so I went to a meeting, 'cause after I met these students and found out, I was like, I just wanna find out more about these schools, like, what's going on? And so I had heard that, hey, they're gonna start franchising these schools. So I was never thinking, oh, okay, I'm gonna take this on.
The clients that I serve in my community need to know about this. Mm-hmm. And so I went to the first potential meeting and heard about the concept, what they wanted to do with schools, and I was just like. Blown away. I was like, this is amazing. Like this is the school experience I would've wanted when I went to school.
This is exactly what I'm looking for. So then I was like, Hey, send me the information. Well, they [00:14:00] sent it in the mail. It was just like loads of stuff. And as I started reading it, I realized no one I know is gonna do this. Like just the education and the training. Mm-hmm. And the, the concepts behind it. I just thought it was functioning at such a low level.
I just couldn't see people wanting to make that bridge and jump to it.
Launching The First School
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Schrene Davis: So, at the time I had met some friends that I had worked with at that last salon that I had worked with, and we'd become couple friends, really close and been on a journey together. And so I had come home one night and told my husband like, maybe we should look into this.
Mm-hmm. And, you know, he was just like, well, we don't have any money. That sounds really expensive. I just, I don't see how we can do that. And I was like, yeah, I don't know. I don't know. So we started talking to our friends. We were just like, what do you guys think? Is this something we realized we'd need partners, we'd need to do this adventure with somebody.
And so thankfully my friend Stephanie and Gragg Kellogg her dad was a business owner. Had some money and he was willing to take a chance on us, invest in us. Wow. You know, [00:15:00] he, we sat down with him, we showed him the concept. I felt like I knew the salon community well enough that I was like, I feel like this community would support this concept.
And so he was just like, okay, well I'm in. And so we went to potential owners the Orlando school had opened up, and so we went for a training there and just kind of heard about what the journey was gonna take mm-hmm. To be school owners and just being schools.
Kristin Kienzle: How many schools were there at this point?
Ish.
Schrene Davis: Maybe five, maybe. Okay. I, yeah, I'm trying to remember the first ones that opened up. Not a lot.
Kristin Kienzle: How many are there now?
Schrene Davis: Like right now there's probably 120.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, wow.
Schrene Davis: Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: So you were on the ground level?
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm. Yeah. It was really at the beginning.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Schrene Davis: So it's funny, the first potential owners we went to, because at the very beginning we were just like, well.
Let's open one in Kansas City. Let's open one in St. Louis. We lived in Springfield. We were kind of looking at like that triangle. But the first people that we met were some girls that were from Illinois and they had their eyes on St. Louis. And then my regional [00:16:00] rep for Paul Mitchell, he's outta Kansas City.
He already had his eye on Kansas City. So we were like, okay, well let's just start with Springfield. Mm-hmm. And see how that goes. And I mean, we couldn't believe how fast it, I, I think it might have been a year and a half from going to that potential owners meeting to opening up. Wow. And yeah, it was, it was so fast.
And that was, what, 2000, and we opened this school in 2009, so that was like 2005.
So, you know, we had to look at it as families. And what's great is my husband had a marketing ad agency that he had started up with some partners and then Stephanie and I were both the cosmetologist and her husband actually was a physical therapist, but he got into like medical device sales.
So needless to say, our husbands had good careers and they were like, oh yeah, you girls go and open up little beauty school and you do this.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. You have the support of your husband's. Though it would've never happened.
Schrene Davis: Right? Yeah. I, I don't, don't think any of us anticipated. How big it would get.
And [00:17:00] then how much it would need all of us. Really. Mm-hmm. I think at the beginning we just thought me and Stephanie could just kind of run the school Little hobby job. Yeah. And our husbands could just keep their careers. But it became really apparent like, Hey, this is gonna probably. You know, take all of us just to run the show.
Springfield Success Model
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Schrene Davis: And we were just super blessed in Springfield. And still out of all our schools, Springfield is the best most successful school. And I don't know what it is about that area. There's just, there's not a lot of high level competition. And when we built that school there, it was definitely something that they'd never seen.
They were really just blown away and just the Paul Mitchell culture and the curriculum layout was just something that nobody had really seen for beauty school. Mm-hmm. It was just really different.
They really teach differently and come from a different perspective and they just really have a community. Fundraising give back mentality. And it's not just about you as the artist behind the chair and what you can do. It's about how you can serve your [00:18:00] community and give back and what you can do besides just being the artist behind the chair.
And so that whole concept was something that, you know, none of us had ever really heard or seen. And so, you know, when you first open a cosmetology school, you have to open unaccredited. And the Accreditating agencies, you have to take a three year journey. They have to see certain outcomes before you can offer financial aid.
So we kind of look at that as like the blissful years because financial aid's a little bit of a double edged sword. It's like you can't live without it, but the things that it does bring is super challenging. And you start to feel like you lose a portion of control over your business. Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. You know, when you're in business with the government, they just have a big say. And so those three years in Springfield I felt like were really special. Just because people had to cash pay. And
Kristin Kienzle: were you able to keep your classrooms full without accreditation?
Schrene Davis: We really were, surprisingly. Mm-hmm.
That's what, and that's what's amazing about that school is it's been profitable since day one. Mm-hmm.
Wichita Market Reality
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Schrene Davis: I wish we could say that here in Wichita, but [00:19:00] it's been a much harder journey. And there's just a lot of different factors and that's what I had to get really educated on. Things went so well in Springfield, we thought we can just pick up that model.
Mm-hmm. Come to Wichita and boom, we'll have success the same way. And I can't tell you how different it's been. So, I didn't know the market like I did in Springfield. Mm-hmm. Just because I haven't grown up here. You know, I, I spent 20 years in Springfield and just that time that I had working with the salon community, I felt like I just really had the inside track.
And you probably had something
Kristin Kienzle: didn't
Schrene Davis: a
Kristin Kienzle: reputation as well.
Schrene Davis: Yeah, I did. People knew
Kristin Kienzle: who you were.
Schrene Davis: And when I started telling people, Hey we're gonna open a cosmetology school, they were like, they were probably very excited. Yes. They were like, yes, please. And so I was able to personally go around and tell every salon about the vision of the school and what it was gonna look like.
And so everybody was immediately on board with that. I feel like, Eric Fisher's been, has set the standard here in such a great way that I think the Wichita people just expect it to be at this level. [00:20:00] Mm-hmm. Whereas in Springfield, it was unexpected. Mm-hmm. And it was just a wonderful surprise of like, mm-hmm.
Wow, we didn't even know this was possible and the quality of education. So we just built a reputation really quickly, and all the salons would recommend us. So anybody that sat in their chair that was like, I may wanna go to cosmetology school, they were like.
Kristin Kienzle: You
Schrene Davis: must go to the Paul Mitchell school. Yeah.
So everybody fed into it and so they've grown just years of great relationships with the salon community. And here we've had to work a lot harder to develop that. You know, it's just taken a lot of years and we're starting over with just our aesthetics program being in its second year. You know, we're working to develop those relationships.
We've not been known as an aesthetic school. Mm-hmm. And so, you know, just trying to cultivate those relationships is, is hard. So, you know, the potential. Student has a lot of options here in Wichita, and so I feel like there's just like, there's a salon for everybody. Mm-hmm. I feel like there's a school for everybody.
Mm-hmm. And so, you know, we just show the students what we have and we just tell 'em, explore your options. Think about it. It's a big investment. Make sure this [00:21:00] is really what you want to do because you know there's gonna be days that you wake up and you kind of lose sight of why you wanted to do it. And so make that decision for the right reasons.
And so that's just one of our philosophy. Yeah.
Cosmetology Culture Shift
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Kristin Kienzle: So one thing you and I have in common with being of the same generation.
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: And we talked about this earlier when I made the decision after high school or during high school, I guess, to go on and go to cosmetology school rather than college. That didn't go over well with everyone in my life mm-hmm.
At the time. And, and you and I talked about that, and I'm curious. From my vantage point, it looks like that's changed a little bit. I see. I see people telling me, Hey Kristen, I'm excited. My daughter said she wants to go to cosmetology school. Mm-hmm. And I love that. What are you seeing that that change?
How has that evolved from when you were. A high school senior too now.
Schrene Davis: Yeah. I feel like the whole culture of college has changed a little bit. Mm-hmm. I feel like a lot of that stemmed from people being saddled with all that loan debt. Mm-hmm. [00:22:00] And so I have a 24-year-old and a 19-year-old, and I think it's amazing that my 24-year-old is just like.
I would never take out student loans. And I just feel like of our day and age, I was like, oh, where do I sign? Like what? Yeah. Okay. I wasn't really thinking about like, yeah, you just do. If this is what it's gonna take to get me to where I want to go, where, where do I sign? Mm-hmm. And so I think that's kind of how it started is just like, yeah.
And, but I feel like now people are like, well, am I gonna be able to pay that back? How long is it gonna take? What skills am I gonna have? There's no guarantee that I'm gonna have a job.
What It Takes To Succeed
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Schrene Davis: And I've just told people in this industry. The guarantee is if you want it, it's there. There's salons always need more help, more hires, they need great people.
So I think the sky's the limit and it's really just up to you as the individual what you wanna make it. And so if you want to just sit there and hope that people will come, no, you have to cultivate it. So, I think we do a really great job during the admissions process to make people aware that, you know.
It just doesn't [00:23:00] happen overnight. I think people watch TikTok or Instagram and they just think, oh, I can just be a millionaire overnight. No, you have to build it and lay a foundation and put it in And work hard. Yes. And work hard. And if you're. A super introvert and you don't really like people, then this may not be for you.
Yeah. I feel like you have to be a lover of people and be willing to find common ground with everybody and mm-hmm. Talk and build relationships. And I think that's what people find surprising about this industry. It's not just about the technical, it's about the relationships. And so you have to be a good listener.
Somebody that really wants to pour into people and give that time. And I think people are surprised by that. And so I think that's sometimes why sometimes people get into it and they're just like, I really don't like touching people. I don't like being in their personal space. Yeah. I don't like being a part of how they see themselves.
And, you know, I think that they find that very surprising. I think they just think about it artistically. Mm-hmm. And I think it's just more well-rounded.
Fast Track Licensing
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Schrene Davis: [00:24:00] But yeah, I find parents are a lot more open these days. Like, hey, this is a skill that they can get in a year. Mm-hmm. And what's great about the cosmetology side of it is you literally can be licensed and less than a week.
So you can graduate from cosmetology school on a Friday and be licensed by the end of the next Friday. And I think that's amazing. And our goal too is that we build those salon relationships and we take 'em out to see what their opportunities are and that way they know where they're gonna land before they even graduate.
So that's why we have a big celebration when somebody hits their final hours and they can really talk about and share. At their clap out where they're already gonna go, they usually know. It's very rare that someone's just like, I don't know where I'm gonna work. Usually it's a number of options. They just have to make the decision on what the best fit is for them.
And, you know, we build those relationships with owners like yourself that we try to bring in people since we know that. One size really doesn't fit all. There's gonna be all different things.
Career Paths Beyond Cutting
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Schrene Davis: We try to show our future [00:25:00] professionals all the opportunities they have in the industry. So whether it's owning a school like myself or being a platform artist like my brother who leads the education team for Palm and Cho advanced education there's just so many.
Or being a sales rep like I was, I just think there's more than what people really see. And so,
Kristin Kienzle: yeah, I agree and I think the industry has changed in that. When we were graduating, like you said, someone in your life said, what are you gonna do? Just go cut hair.
Schrene Davis: Right.
Kristin Kienzle: Where, where are you going with that?
It's
Schrene Davis: not really make money.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. Is that, and you can do that. You can just go cut hair and
Schrene Davis: Right.
Kristin Kienzle: And or you can, you can do anything. Be an educator, own a school. Mm-hmm. Own salons. Mm-hmm. Yeah. The sky's the limit. And I think we're, because of social media, maybe now we're seeing that like, oh gosh, there's a lot more.
Mm-hmm. Which probably helps families be more supportive when they see. Oh, okay. So this doesn't mean you're gonna be at Regis. Mm-hmm. Or JC Penney, which, there's nothing wrong with that. Either. Either. I mean, that serves some people very well.
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: But I, I love it when I get to [00:26:00] meet your students when they're touring my salon.
And I, I told you today, when I showed up here at your school, it's weird. It's, I didn't go to school here. It didn't exist yet, unfortunately. But it's so nostalgic. It's so cool to see. All these people who have no idea what their potential is and to be able to see it in them,
I, I love it. I love meeting the students and showing them kind of you all that they can do and getting them to believe in their selves, but
Schrene Davis: right
Kristin Kienzle: themselves.
But it is true.
Spotting Student Potential
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Kristin Kienzle: There's definitely a mix of people, those who don't have the grit to do it and the desire and who aren't comfortable maybe socially, right. And then those that you can just see, holy cow, you're gonna do big stuff.
Schrene Davis: Right? But what we've learned through the admissions process is you never know.
I feel like sometimes people can have a dynamic tour and we're just like, this person's gonna be amazing and they're not. And then sometimes you can do these tours where you're like. I don't even know why they're here. They really seem like they don't have any questions. I don't know if they have a passion for the industry and then they end up being [00:27:00] amazing at the school.
Yeah. And so you never know. What I feel like is the beauty of being 18 years old or 18 years of for the school and over 20 years for my Springfield school, is to see the full circle moment. Mm-hmm. And sometimes we have a panel of our graduates come in and just speak about their journey. People that have been out 10 years.
And I've also. Been blessed to have some of my graduates come back and work for me's. Cool. And so I love that's that. And I think some of them are amazed. 'Cause sometimes they were a pill in school, Uhhuh and just like you, I mean, we were 18, 19 ' they, this is their growing up journey and first time
Kristin Kienzle: away from
home.
Schrene Davis: Yes. Yes, exactly. Or. Just, I mean, their first thing outta high school where mom and dad aren't calling the shots, some of some of 'em try to do too much. They try to get an apartment, get a job, go to school, and you know, they're having a breakdown. And so, we're here for every part of it. And. I really don't judge.
'cause I wait to see what they really do outside these walls.
Old School Cosmo Rules
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Schrene Davis: Because I feel like if you would've looked at me as a student, I was not a great student either. [00:28:00] And, and I mean, I kind of had an attitude. I didn't enjoy it while I was there. I put very little into it. And back then you, we had to wear a uniform.
And so what was funny is it was like khaki pants with like the seams and we had to wear white nursing shoes. Oh. And then we had to wear. Just like button down shirts that were khaki. And then, then, because we were part of like some organization that we had to learn things and we had to wear patches sewn on there, like it was the most like uncreative look.
So I was like, I, at the time, I was just like, I'm not buying more than one pair of khaki pants. So I always tell people, I think I wore the same pair of pants for the whole. 10 months or whatever. I was in cosmetology school and you know, we did have to show up with our hair and makeup done.
Mm-hmm. And then here we will do write-ups and those lead to different, you know, consequences. But there we actually had demerits. And so if you were like chewing gum and doing someone's hair, if you were doing your own [00:29:00] hair you had to do demerits. And so many demerits led to papers that were assigned in theory.
And so I can't tell you how many papers I had to do 'cause I was always chewing gum and sneaking off to do my own hair. So it's just hilarious how far we've come with cosmetology school.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Schrene Davis: Yeah, and I think that was part of. What I didn't like about it, I just felt like it seemed very regimented and not really creative.
Mm-hmm.
Teaching Color Confidence
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Schrene Davis: And I don't know how they did it when you were in school, but like they mixed our color for us and they kind of formulated for us, and then they would just show us the techniques. But I, and that's what led me to when I graduated, I felt like, I don't really understand color theory. I don't feel like I really was empowered enough to mm-hmm.
Make any mistakes and, and here we just say there are no mistakes. There's just discoveries and all of that. It's just part of the learning journey, you know? Yeah. And so, when the educators are out there with the student, they're there to help them, but we want them to give us, what would you do? Like, they have what they [00:30:00] call a little download where, you know, they do the consultation with the client.
And then they walk over and the, you know, the educator just says, so what do you think? What would you do? Mm-hmm. What colors would you pick? And if they're gonna go way out in left field, and we're like, oh, that would have catastrophic end results. We may say, how about do this? But, you know, we're really trying to empower them to ask the right questions.
Come up with their own ideas for formulation. 'cause we both know color doesn't just have one way to do things. And so, you know, we all have our preferences and things that we like to tone with or lift with or do whatever. And so, you know, we try to show the students that there's a lot of different ways and sometimes we just let them pick their way.
And in the end maybe it's a little brassy. Okay, what could you have done differently? You know, what's the discover that it's another opportunity
Kristin Kienzle: to
Schrene Davis: learn? Yeah. Yeah. And so, we try not to. Show 'em a lot of shortcuts until they get into what we call phase two, which is more like salon reality. But we know if you don't learn those fundamental foundations, then how are you gonna take shortcuts?
You're not gonna really understand [00:31:00] how it works. So yeah, lots of different ways.
Staying Relevant Over Time
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Kristin Kienzle: So the beauty industry is always evolving. It's, it's, there's always something new that's in, you know, when we were in school, there was no such word as balayage.
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: And here we are, both of us about the same age in our mid fifties. Mm-hmm. And sometimes I find that it's hard to stay relevant. And I'm sure you experienced that as well as the salon owner. I don't ever wanna be perceived as the old lady who doesn't Yes. Even know what a boash is, which I do know what a boash is.
Schrene Davis: Yes, yes.
Kristin Kienzle: But it, it's hard to grow in your career in this industry and that's evolving and always top fashion, all the things. Mm-hmm. And yet stay relevant as you get older. Do you deal with that with, I mean, you're dealing with students who are coming in at 18 years old.
Schrene Davis: Yep.
Kristin Kienzle: And then I know even your daughter has worked for you.
Mm-hmm. And she is in her early twenties.
Gen Z Work Life Shift
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Schrene Davis: I think the whole concept of work life balance mm-hmm. Is something that I've had to kind of wrap my head around. 'cause I'm just like, what, what is that? I, I don't even know. That's a foreign [00:32:00] concept. You know, like it's a newing word, just like, just work, you know?
And so, it's just so different since this is an hours program and it's their hours you know, you have to graduate in a certain amount of time or it's gonna cost you additional to stay and we call it over contract fees. And I felt like in the past that would really govern people's ideas on like, oh, I don't feel like coming today, but I don't want to owe any more money, so I'm gonna get there.
And I find that people are just like, ah. I don't feel like being here today. I am just gonna clock out and go home. And we're just like, oh, well you don't wanna lose your hours, do you? Eh, you know, I don't know. I, I'm gonna go shopping, or I'm gonna go on vacation, or I'm gonna miss time. Mm-hmm. And so I just feel like I've had to come up or be flexible on fun.
Mm-hmm. I think fun plays a bigger role mm-hmm. Than it's ever played and people just want to feel like things are rewarding and fun. I think people of our generation are like, you just work. You come to work, you know, need to be patted on the back. There's no trophy. You just finish what you started and you just move on.
And I just think that that's not the [00:33:00] expectation anymore. So I think we've had to be very creative. And that's the one thing about probably the hair industry in general, but the school world, just because it worked two years ago, that doesn't mean it's gonna work anymore. And that has probably been the biggest challenge.
And as a Paul Mitchell. Group nationwide. You know, we have a couple meetings a year and then, I mean, we just have regular trainings, monthly or whatever, but sometimes what works in Idaho doesn't work here. And I've learned that even what works in Springfield, Missouri doesn't work in Wichita, Kansas. And so we can all get together and come up with ideas and concepts, and I've just found that you have to really understand.
Who you're serving and your market and the demographics and the things that go on here. And so I feel like we've had unique challenges just like everyone.
Student Led School Culture
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Schrene Davis: But we have student run teams just like high schools do. So we'll have student council and good, we have like a be nice or else team that's about giving back to the community.
And so I have found that if the students aren't invested in, it's never gonna work. Mm-hmm. And so sometimes. Us as educators, or [00:34:00] my management team can have the reasons they don't want to do it, but I'm just like, let's find out what the students wanna do. Mm-hmm. So we poll the students all the time. They have surveys that's so we make sure they have a voice.
And so, one thing we don't subscribe to is, well, that's just the way we've always done it. That's good. And it works. So yeah, we just have to break out of that. I'm
Kristin Kienzle: kind of really, I've been adopting this mindset a little bit too. I thought, you know, we. We come from the age of work harder, not smarter, right?
And these people are working smarter, not harder. And they're valuing their time off their vacations, their little luxuries that they treat themselves to, that we would've just never afforded ourselves, right? And I, instead of fighting it in the last few years, I've thought, you know what? Maybe they're right.
Maybe they're onto something. Mm-hmm. And, and I think maybe they are. Yeah. I think it's okay. I think all these small evolutions of getting away from you absolutely graduate from high school and go to college. Maybe you do something like this or, you know, maybe you go ahead and do, take your vacation in the middle of your, your school education and, and have to pay more.[00:35:00]
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: I, I don't know. I, I think that's a lot of it. So I love that you enlist your students and let them show leadership and, and learn from that.
That's,
Schrene Davis: yeah. I've had to just really. Not react in the moment. Mm-hmm. And I make sure that my staff can say, Hey, the students had some ideas. They would like to.
And sometimes my first thought is like, oh, I'm always thinking of why this wouldn't work, but I've had to take a moment like, mm-hmm. Well lemme just think about it. Lemme think about it. And I've tried to be a lot more open-minded and flexible.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Schrene Davis: Even if it doesn't look like. Things that we've ever done before.
Do you
Kristin Kienzle: find that sometimes you're surprised like, oh,
Schrene Davis: worked. That does work. That worked. Yeah. Yeah.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Schrene Davis: I am surprised of things that I was like, oh, I don't know if we'd ever do that.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah.
Schrene Davis: Yeah, and I think it just challenges us to change and bring change all the time and. That's what I always tell people if they wanna work here too.
If you're somebody that's very black and white and you're not flexible and you're not willing to bend, you're never gonna work here as an educator, because we do have to function a lot in the gray areas. [00:36:00] And I always say we have to make educated compromises. Mm-hmm. And so we have to really weigh things out.
And so at the end of the day, we just need these kids to come to school, be engaged, learn what. Learn what we're giving them, that is what they paid for. And so that way they can. Go out there and, you know, be an asset to the industry.
Kristin Kienzle: Mm-hmm.
Schrene Davis: And so sometimes you have to find creative and different ways to do that.
Yeah. And it's just challenged me really as a person, as a mother, you know, as a teacher, all of it too. And I've seen the, change in my staff over the years and stuff too. But yeah, it's just, it's, it's a journey. It never is the same day twice, that's for sure. It's never boring and you never think you've mastered it.
Kristin Kienzle: That's what this whole industry, I think that's what I love about it. Yes. I can't imagine being one that sits in an office and does the same thing every day.
Schrene Davis: Right.
Kristin Kienzle: The same four walls and few people around me every day is different.
Schrene Davis: Yes. Yeah. Always
Kristin Kienzle: has been.
Schrene Davis: And the people are, is what makes it unique.
Mm-hmm. And fun. And I just think having these three programs here is. We just get a [00:37:00] really vast diversity of people and I think that that's great and I think it really educates you as a professional on. You know how to relate to people and deal with different things behind the chair.
Launching Aesthetics Program
---
Kristin Kienzle: How is your aesthetics program doing and how has that affected your cosmetology program?
How, you know, that's a big change mm-hmm. To bring that in.
Schrene Davis: It is. Yeah. I think it, it's doing great. I mean, we could always use more who couldn't. I think that's been a learning journey about like. I, there are a different demographic, not with
Kristin Kienzle: Cosmo. Did you start the aesthetics program here in Wichita, or were you already doing it in Springfield?
Schrene Davis: Springfield's been doing it for a long time. Okay. Mm-hmm. Okay. And they, so it
Kristin Kienzle: wasn't completely new to you?
Schrene Davis: No. I mean, and a bunch of Paul Mitchell schools have been doing it a long time. Okay. We were just kind of dragging our feet. We just didn't know if. We could carve out space in this facility. Mm-hmm.
And that it was really key that I had to use the footprint that I already have and mm-hmm. You know, not expand or whatever. And I just felt like aesthetics is not an area that I'm not familiar with. Yeah. And since we've been licensed the same way, remember they just kind of [00:38:00] grandfathered you into us.
It's
Kristin Kienzle: crazy. I say all the time, yes. I cannot believe that it is legal for me to do a massage.
Schrene Davis: No, yes. For somebody's
Kristin Kienzle: nails.
Schrene Davis: I know. I remember when I got that in the mail, I was like, why would I wanna do that? You know? I was just kind of, I don't know how into my thinking. Yeah, right. I don't know. And so, that was kind of the biggest challenge for me is I thought, this is an area that I don't feel super educated in.
Mm-hmm. And so Paul Mitchell's pretty. Open with the curriculum, you know, you can add a lot just because aesthetics vary so much. Mm-hmm. State to state, as we know, it was six 50 here and now it's a thousand and I think Missouri is also 600 or six 50. And so, you know, a thousand hours is kind of a long time.
Mm-hmm. For this. And so we had to really figure out like, what all are we gonna do for this curriculum? And so we had a lot of. Nope. I, I don't think we did it the right way. Let's redo it. How many start dates should we have? And then just getting to know our customer. Mm-hmm. Because the aesthetic customer is not the same as the Cosmo customer.
They're definitely a different breed just as the [00:39:00] barbers are. And so just getting educated on that was a lot. You know, I was like, it's been so long since I started a program. I thought this could be the death of me. I, it was a lot. I just, or it can be
Kristin Kienzle: a refresher.
Schrene Davis: Yes. Something to remotivate now on year two.
Great. I feel like we're kind of in a groove. We've got amazing staff, but year one. Was just like, I felt like a lot of miss starts
Kristin Kienzle: yeah.
Schrene Davis: A lot of discoveries, as we say. Lots of discoveries. So
Kristin Kienzle: discoveries. I'm gonna
Schrene Davis: remember
Kristin Kienzle: that.
Schrene Davis: That's not mistakes, but discoveries. Yeah. And not to be scared.
'cause I feel like in this industry I think people do get really scared of, you know, 'cause hair, it can grow back. But obviously immediately when you make that cut, it's like. Scary. And so sometimes getting people to not be scared and, you know, the same with waxing. It's like, oh, mm-hmm. Well if you wax, I'll never forget in cosmetology school, I had a friend that waxed, like a circle out of a client's eyebrow and you know, we're all sitting there, we could see it.
And she just pulled it off and she was like, ah. We're like, ah,
Kristin Kienzle: I have a waxing scar to this day. From [00:40:00] school.
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm. Oh, wow.
Kristin Kienzle: Yeah. Above my, yeah.
Schrene Davis: Was it just too hot?
Kristin Kienzle: I don't know. The skin just came with it and
Schrene Davis: Yes, I know. Yeah. We could write a book on all those things too. Uhhuh. That's what I always say too, like if we don't feel like that we're ever gonna make the money we need to in school, we could just start a reality series.
Yes. Or write a tell all novel and Yes.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh, I've always thought that things I've heard behind the chair. Yes. I wish I would've journaled all the years I was behind the chair. Oh my gosh.
Schrene Davis: Yes. We say that too. Like you can't, can't make this stuff up.
Kristin Kienzle: You can't.
Schrene Davis: John Paul has been approached numerous times to do a reality series on Paul Mitchell.
That'd be amazing. And he just never has because they know it'll just highlight the negative side, you know? Yeah, that's true. The things that make good TV are not the things that really help your industry probably. And, you know, we don't wanna focus on that, so,
Rollercoaster Behind the Chair
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Kristin Kienzle: the thing that's so, that I think we love and sometimes dislike about the industry is that it is, you're on such a rollercoaster when you're, when you're behind the chair.
The table or wherever you're performing your services. You've got one client at the beginning of the day who just announced great [00:41:00] news. She's getting married, she's pregnant, whatever. And then you've got the client right after her who's losing her mother.
And you, you have to ride those. waves All day long. And I think that's very unexpected.
And. Not everybody's built for it.
And some people are built really well for it.
Schrene Davis: Right, right. And same in school. You know, we have students that are just going through things, losing their parent.
Kristin Kienzle: Oh gosh.
Schrene Davis: Yeah. I think servicing all these people really makes me appreciate my own parents and my own childhood.
Mm-hmm. Just because the things that people go through these days, I feel like it's shocking and amazing. You know, and so that's why we try to have a really supportive culture. 'cause you just never know, and
Kristin Kienzle: those people usually end up being really great in the industry. Mm-hmm. Because they have that empathetic heart and they've
Schrene Davis: been
Kristin Kienzle: there and they're relatable
Schrene Davis: and mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: All those
Schrene Davis: things. Yeah. Yeah. They don't have it easily laid out. They know if they don't make something they, you know, they may never have anything. Yeah. Yep. You gotta stay hungry, that's for sure.
Kristin Kienzle: Well, this has been so fun getting to know so much more about you than I already knew. I've had the pleasure of getting to know you a few [00:42:00] times when you're in visiting your stylist. That's right. Who's in one of our salons. Mm-hmm. I always love coming in and seeing you there and, yeah. Katie doesn't get a word in edgewise when I visit, but it's been fun to get to know you and I think we have a common love of the industry.
Schrene Davis: Mm-hmm.
Kristin Kienzle: So thank you for doing this.
How to Apply and Connect
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Kristin Kienzle: So if someone is interested in going to cosmetology school for aesthetics or cosmetology or barbering, how would they get ahold of you
Schrene Davis: So they can follow us on our social? I mean, Paul Mitchell, the school Wichita we've got a great Instagram TikTok, and that's a great way for them to peek in and just kind of see what the day-to-day looks like.
Mm-hmm. They can also just go to our website Paul Mitchell, the school Wichita dot edu and check us out. Or they can just drop by too. We're over here on Rock Road Cross Chuck E. Cheese behind dairy Queen. People at walk-ins are always welcome. We've got a great admissions team that can walk 'em around, tell 'em about the industry and yeah, talk to your stylist.
Yeah, we've been really fortunate to have so many great leaders in the [00:43:00] industry that now either, you know, written space from you at Utopia or have their own salons, and so yeah, sometimes that's the,
Kristin Kienzle: you have a great reputation in. The community. Oh, it's, it's easy to recommend people check
Schrene Davis: out your school.
Oh, I love that. Yeah. Well, I feel like we've got some people that have worked really hard and Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Final Thanks and Wrap
---
Schrene Davis: We try to stay on top of it and just kind of, you know, make the changes that need to happen, reinvent yourself and try to stay relevant too. You know, that's always a challenge. But yeah, I appreciate the time and I love getting to know you too.
Yeah. We'll have to have coffee and just chit chat some more about it. Yeah, definitely. We
Kristin Kienzle: keep saying that we need to do it. Mm-hmm.
Schrene Davis: Yeah, we do.
Kristin Kienzle: All right. Well thank you, Schrene.
[00:44:00]