With more than 300 of the beauty industry’s thought leaders, the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) hosted its 6th annual Executive Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona on November 20-21, 2019. The PBA’s Executive Summit allows beauty industry leaders top executives and influencers to unite and explore the disruptive forces affecting business models and profitability.
This year’s summit “Leading With Human Connections” focused on exploring best-in-class case studies and challenged conventional wisdom on managing disruption, as well as explored leveraging new technologies and creating human relationships that drive innovation Speakers included Mitch Joel, technology and innovation expert and best-selling author; Erica Keswin, best-selling author; Kate Ancketill, founder and CEO of GDR Creative Intelligence; and Steve Sleeper, PBA’s executive director.
Here’s a summary of five key takeaways:
1. Human connection matters now more than ever. According to speaker Erica Keswin, it’s crucial to bring human connections into the workplace to create something real and dynamic that matters. With technology and social media at the forefront of our lives, integrating a realness that resonates, honoring relationships with a purpose and presence, and putting the human touch first is the way of the future—and today.
2. Disruption starts on the inside. In order to make true change, Keswin shared that it starts from the top down. From creating corporate values that are easily activated and understood, to infusing mindful meetings, well-being at work, a space that creates connection and ideation, empowering those around you through human touch, initiating give-back moments and showing consistent gratitude. These core values help “bring your human to work” to get connection and disruption going.
3. Voice is the future. Technology and innovation expert Mitch Joel shared his insights on how voice recognition is taking over—on many levels. Integrating voice-activated technology—with a human touch—into corporate programming both for culture and experience, is the way of the (not-so-far-off) future. Identifying these opportunities in a way that’s seamless for your company can lead to innovation that resonates.
4. Technology as inspiration. Other industries, other countries and other perspectives give great inspiration for small change here at home—whatever the business may be, according to expert Kate Ancketill, founder and CEO of GDR Creative Intelligence. Using inspiration from unexpected places—and being open to these new and different ideas—and then applying it to the business your working on can create incredible bottom line success.
5. Rituals work. With health and wellness integrating into corporate culture now more than ever, creating rituals that bring these ideations to life can, according to Keswin, transform everyday routines into something magical, which in turn, can lead to disruption and innovation in ways you never thought possible.
The summit also provided a big networking opportunity with many executives representing the biggest companies in the professional beauty world today present, including Amika, Coty, Drybar, Great Clips, Henkel, John Paul Mithchell Systems, Kevin.Murphy, Living Proof, L’Oreal, Kao, Moroccanoil, Olaplex, Revlon, Robanda, SalonCentric, The Kirschner Group, Wahl, Ulta and more.