careersinthebeautyindustry

On our second special Men's Edition, Corynne Corbett welcomes Mezei Jefferson, Assistant Vice President, Education Curriculum, ACCESS, and Digital Content for L'Oréal's Professional division. Although Mezei grew up around the industry because his grandparents owned a salon, being a hairstylist wasn't his initial career ambition. Mezei wanted to be a rock star (although he neither sang nor played an instrument). After his father convinced him of the impracticality of that goal, Mezei enrolled in beauty school. He shares his journey from a local salon in Maryland to a chain salon, where he first had the opportunity to join an education team. He fell in love with the theatrics of hair after attending one of his first hair shows, and he never looked back! Initially reluctant, Mezei also learned the value of being a hair color specialist and added that skill to his wheelhouse. His abilities as a colorist and Redken educator led to a role at Ulta, where he grew the education team nearly eight-fold during his eight-year tenure. At the same time, he also oversaw the curriculum for over 800 salons. 

Mezei explains how his first role at L'Oréal had him thinking about hair education differently since it was focused on consumers and how his position expanded to encompass Optimum Professional and later Carol's Daughter when it became part of the multicultural division of the company. He points out how social media and influencers shifted education. 

Finally, Mezei talks about his new role in the professional division, how Covid-19 accelerated the need for digital education, why he gets excited about new challenges, and why he feels like he's achieved his ambition of being a rock star. 

If you asked Ukachi Anonyuo about pursuing a career in the beauty industry as she was entering college, she would have explained that she was headed for a career playing basketball. But a year later, she was entrenched in Industrial Engineering as her major. As graduation approached, she was determined to get a job and saw a posting for a position at Del Labs. She's been hooked on the beauty industry ever since. Ukachi will explain how she landed her first job in packaging, why the fit, form, and function of a product's packaging is critical, why maintaining relationships is essential, the difference between working on mass and prestige brands, and how her current role, which focuses on innovation continues to fuel her career growth. Learn that and so much more on this week's episode.

This episode features Integrated Marketing and Communications Strategist Trenesa Stanford-Danuser. She started her career in Crisis Communications at the American Red Cross and she not only chased storms for a living but all kinds of disasters. She discusses how that background prepared her to be the level-headed one in the room when everyone else thought the sky was falling once she began working at agencies and eventually, Estee Lauder Brands. 

She explains the differences in working at an agency and working at a large corporation both in proximity to new product creation and company structure and lines of communication. Trenesa wholeheartedly believes that you must always bring your whole self to work and points out her reasoning for wearing her big afro to her final interview for a corporate role. 

We discuss the current climate and the fight against systemic racism, allyship fatigue, and the truth about Angry Black Woman trope as well as why we may have to fix our faces as Black women. Trenesa also points out why it is important to be the "squeaky wheel" and advocate for your own advancement. Plus, so much more!