How important is education to you and your team?
I believe education plays a vital role in influencing and nurturing future industry leaders, by sharing their vast experience, values and knowledge. By investing in education and making this a key focus in business, we ultimately benefit our customers and the beauty industry overall.
I am incredibly passionate about education and feel that being able to share information with my peers and our customers is a privilege. The benefit ultimately sits with
our clients, as the aim is to offer the most premium service, product and experience on the market. Staying up to date with information, industry trends and new product launches means that we are one step ahead of the game. We can only achieve this through education and programs that facilitate change and constant improvement in everything that we do.
During the pandemic how did you alter your education for staff and clients?
As our retailers are spread far and wide across Australia and New Zealand, ensuring that they are able to access information on the Victoria Curtis brand, products and pricing at any time was always important to me. For this reason I designed and built a website exclusive to our stockists “Access All Areas”. This was created with the intention to allow our salons to educate themselves and their staff remotely, at any time. Video tutorials, which are live on our site, are such an excellent way to provide ‘virtual’ hands on training during the pandemic. I found these to be an excellent tool for our stockists as well as training on line via Zoom Meetings.
Tell us how it has changed to be an educator going forward?
As educators we have had to adapt very quickly to a
new environment! Our methods, techniques and ways of communicating have all changed and as a result we have had to become more innovative in our approach, without losing the crucial element of human connection – something I am incredibly passionate about. The key is creating material and content that is relatable, engaging and relevant. This is the only way to captivate our audience and ensure that they are invested and interested in the knowledge that we are sharing. Finally, it all comes down to passion and energy – when this exists within an educator, the medium that they are communicating their message through becomes irrelevant. It is contagious and inspiring, regardless!
How important is it to upskill in a new landscape in 2021?
Now is the time to upskill, to educate yourself further and to discover new talents and interests. We have all just witnessed how quickly our environments can change, having additional skills can only benefit us long term. I would highly recommend taking that course that you have always thought about, pursuing a passion and exploring ideas that you were possibly afraid to in the past. There is nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. Knowledge is so powerful, never underestimate the power of education.
What are some of the educator plans you have put in place for the year ahead?
This year we are focusing heavily on Makeup Tutorials for our retailers. Filming new and exciting techniques online that will ensure our stockists are up to date, motivated and excited about the brand. We want to ignite the passion within our team when it comes to makeup and for them to share that passion with their clients. That is ultimately the most important factor of all.
Has online/tutorial educating become more important now and how does it replace the face to face educating?
I believe we have all learnt through experience in 2020, that we can and have found ways to replace face to face training.
Any educator advice for the year ahead when it comes to innovative ways to make sure business stays ahead of the game?
This once again comes back to having a passionate approach in everything you do, especially as an educator! Our role is to communicate and share our knowledge with enthusiasm and a level of energy that is infectious and not easily forgotten. I’m always interested to listen to my friends speak fondly about their favourite teacher throughout their lives. It is very often someone who has left a lasting impression on them. I always ask why? The answer… because they genuinely cared. Cared about their students, cared about the message they were sharing and cared about the end result. Our world is changing, business is changing and so are the ways that we are educating, but the one thing that remains the same is human connection! Make this the focus of all that you do and result will always be the same. Success!
This article first appeared in the January/February issue of Professional Beauty magazine. Download the issue here.
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