Week 10: Pay It Forward: Win $5,000 for a Friend

Ultimate Beauty Companies, a Southern Calif.-based beauty distributorship, wants to make a difference in the world — and within the beauty industry — by “paying it forward.” So UBC recently created the Pay It Forward contest to encourage beauty professionals to nominate an industry friend in need, and the chosen finalist will receive $5,000 cash.

As part of the Pay it Forward campaign, beauty industry professionals are invited to submit a true story about someone they know within the beauty industry and the personal or professional challenges that person may be experiencing. The person who submits the winning story will have a chance to reward the friend featured in their story with $5,000 cash — with the request that that person then pay it forward with some small, random act of kindness.

“I’m so proud to be part of a company that is continuously giving back to our customers and our industry. We believe that small, random acts of kindness have the power to change the world one person at a time. With the Pay It Forward campaign we hope to enhance the circumstances of someone within the beauty industry who really needs it,” said Cynthia Heisser, senior vice president of Ultimate Beauty Companies.

Submissions to the Pay it Forward campaign should be made in the form of brief two-minute videos, uploaded to the UBC Giveaway Facebook page, telling the story of someone in need. All entries are due on or before December 1, 2009.

A panel made up of beauty industry professionals including Cheryl and Jim Markham, founders of PureOlogy Serious Colour Care, Harlan Kirshner, president of the Kirshner Group, and “American Idol’s” Dean Banowetz, will view the videos and select the finalist by December 31, 2009. The winner will be announced on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at the International Salon and Spa Expo in Long Beach, Calif.

The Pay It Forward campaign is part of “UBC Makes Dreams Come True,” where one lucky salon professional will win $25,000 cash. The winner of UBC Makes Dreams Comes True will also be drawn on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at ISSE. Click here to enter UBC Makes Dreams Come True and Pay It Forward.

— Judy Lessin

Coming Next Week: Client Surveys: Getting Feedback You Can Use