• Beauty influencers share their stories of passion and fulfilmment in their beauty careers to encourage the next generation of licensed pros.

• The Make Your Mark campaign provides resources to help the next generation of hairstylists, estheticians, barbers, nail professionals and entrepreneurs pursue their calling.

 After a year of planning and collaborating with stakeholders across the beauty industry, Beauty Changes Lives is celebrating the launch of the first phase of the  Make Your Mark campaign. Targeting Gen Z with a call to beauty, the campaign microsite is bringing together convening influencers to share their authentic stories and passion for professional beauty, while raising awareness of the unlimited pathways and potential available to licensed professionals.

Beauty Insiders Lend Their Voice to Campaign

The Make Your Mark campaign nurtures, empowers and provides resources to help the next generation of hairstylists, estheticians, barbers, nail professionals and entrepreneurs pursue their calling. A coalition of beauty influencers, educators and ambassadors deliver messages of empowerment that speak to the fierce, independent and questioning spirit of GenZ. For example, Brendnetta Ashley, an educator with the “Salon InStyle team says, “We all love the ideas of tutorials, but is that really enough? You need to understand the how and the why  of beauty before you can go out and break the rules as an artist.” 

Site Showcases Diversity of an Industry

Make Your Mark also highlights the breadth of career possibilities – from working in a salon to creating a product line or operating a business. Beauty Changes Lives announced the Make Your Mark campaign in 2019, with a focus on meeting increased demand for licensed beauty and wellness professionals. As the global pandemic disrupted the beauty industry by shuttering salons/spas, cancelling shows and challenging entrepreneurs, it also highlighted the creativity of an industry. For example, scholarship recipient Laura Pascazio shifted her bridal beauty and esthetics business to tele-beauty. “As businesses continue to reopen, we have an opportunity to show the world the tenacity and creativity of beauty professionals as well as the demand of the marketplace for licensed beauty professionals,” said Lynelle Lynch. She noted that prior to the pandemic, projections showed nearly 1.3M beauty jobs could be vacant in the next decade. The number of unfilled beauty jobs is likely to rise even higher, accounting for professionals that left the industry during the Great Lockdown.

Backed by Leading Beauty Brands

COTY became the first professional brand to support phase one of the campaign – funding a gift of $100,000 to initiate efforts. Other brands providing financial support for phase one of the campaign include Dermalogica, Mariana, Paul Mitchell and Ratner Companies.  

With the interactive microsite launched, phase 2 efforts turn toward other elements of the campaign, including social advertising initiatives to engage with Gen Z. Sponsorships are available, and tax-deductible donations can be made here.  “We are launching this campaign at a time that is both challenging and critical to the future of our industry,” said Lynch. “We are immensely honored by the support of the beauty community and ask for their continued support as we move toward phase 2 of Mae Your Mark.

About Beauty Changes Lives:
Beauty Changes Lives is a nonprofit driven to make the beauty profession a first choice career by empowering individuals with mentorship, inspiration and scholarships. Beauty Changes Lives works with leaders across specialties to sponsor scholarships, foster mentorships and provide the stage on which to showcase our individual and industry impact.

Learn more at www.beautychangeslives.org