A few weeks ago, BTC Facebook BFF Tiffany Paden posed quite an interesting question to other BFFs on our Facebook wall. She asked, “Would salon owners/managers who are not hiring new graduates please give their reasons why? Is it a lack of education/experience? Is it your lack of time and/or patience to train?” This discussion provided some interesting insight and advice from fellow BFFs, especially from Lizz Tinberg. “Show up to your interview with your A-game,” she said. “Look and act the part, watch the tone in your voice and the words you choose when answering questions. Answer those questions with more than one word or by using something unclear such as ‘I don’t know’ or ‘nothing, really.’ Be willing and thankful to take whatever hours offered to you and believe in yourself. When you believe in yourself, everyone else will too.”See what other BFFs had to say!

Dear Beth: “My client is 100% grey with the exception of the nape area, which is still partially pigmented. I color her grey and refresh her ends at a Level 5. Now she wants to stop coloring and “go grey.” Neither of us wants her to be walking around with a horrible grey band sitting next to a Level 5. Help!”–How To Color-Away Grey

Dear Color-Away Grey: Fortunately, most of these “back to grey” clients look at their hair six months after making this decision and beg you to color their hair! In the meantime, tell her you will help her grow this out gracefully. Try using a 7N shade for the next three or four retouches. Apply it only to the new grey regrowth and do not refresh the ends. Finish the coloring treatment with a silver, color-enhancing shampoo. While the regrowth will not cover as thoroughly, and will be a lighter shade than before, the transition will be less severe. Months down the road, you can add some highlights to the face framing area. Register for Beth’s upcoming FREE webinar!

Ever wish you could, just once, peer behind the curtain at a hair show? To watch and learn as the teams develop their show concepts. As they work together to create a living and moving masterpiece. To take in how they twist and tease and pin hair into unbelievable confections. BTC is drawing back the curtain on Antoinette Beenders and the Aveda team as they prepare for one of their largest hair shows ever at HairExpo in Australia. Thus far, we’ve participated in a color prep day held at the Pivot Point Academy in Waterloo, plus a full day of dry rehearsals at the Sydney Convention Center. So, when you find yourself wondering what it takes to achieve the level of success that only a small amount of hairdressers like Antoinette have achieved, get a glimpse of the dedication, creativity and passion needed to produce an awe-inspiring show. Believe us, this show will be one not soon forgotten, and you’ll love some of our amazing and candid backstage snapshots. Click here to follow along with your friends at BTC for exclusive pics, cool videos and daily blog posts from down under.

To reduce muscle strain and maximize airflow while blow drying, follow these tips from Sam Villa. First, position nozzles diagonally so the airflow is directed around the head, thus hitting more surface area to reduce drying time. Wide nozzles should be used for drying long, thick hair to expand the width of the airflow. Narrow nozzles are used for polished finishes when more air concentration is needed. Take the nozzle off for fine hair; it should be blast dried 80 percent to pump up the cuticle for volume. Apply Redken aerate 08 and continue to blow dry with a narrow nozzle and round brush for volume and control. Use a diffuser to dry naturally curly hair to reduce frizz and respect the curl pattern. Apply Redken Fresh Curl Refiner to damp hair first to tame, detangle and control frizz for lasting memory, manageability and shine. Enter to WIN a Sam Villa Brush Set and Aspire Tour 5 DVD Set (a $360 value!)

Dear Beth: My client has an inch of 100% grey, and the shafts and ends are strawberry blonde. She wanted a red shade, so I filled her hair from root to ends with 8R and 8N. Then I went back and applied 7CG to her regrowth for 20 minutes and pulled it through for an additional 20 minutes. It looked great when she left, but four days later her regrowth was orange and darker than the rest of the hair. Why?—Red Surprise

Dear Surprise: There was no reason to fill the white hair. Fillers are usually used to help a faded, porous hair shaft take color more readily and hold it more predictably. The root area of the hair–virgin white hair–requires balanced red formulation. This shade can be created by combining an N, NN or gold shade with the targeted level of warm red shade. The hair shaft should then be treated as though it is attached to a completely different head of hair. I like pre-staining or filling the hair shaft with a very light, golden red demi-permanent shade and then re-staining the hair shaft (if necessary) with a deeper, richer red formula. Check out Beth Minardi’s Pro Color Red Tutorial DVD!

Trends come and go and change on a regular basis, especially when it comes to hairstyles. Take the bob, for example. Hair pros claim that this season, the A-line bob is definitely on the way out as fans of Victoria Beckham’s once insanely popular cut have waned. But don’t fret, because a new version of the bob has taken its place—the Box bob! While the A-line version has a severe angle running short-to-long from the nape to the sides, the box version is (you guessed it!) boxier, with a design line that’s the same from back to front. It has no angle and runs parallel to the floor for a clean, classic “Louise Brooks” shape. The key to this cut is a clean, shiny finish so prep towel-dried hair with Macadamia Healing Oil Spray then blow-dry with a Denman brush following the shape of the head for a smooth, sleek finish. Finish with another mist of Healing Oil Spray. Get a FREE Sample of Macadamia Oil!

According to MSN Money, 47 percent of customers polled say a knowledgeable staff matters most when it comes to customer service. Is your salon staff measuring up to client expectations? How often are product knowledge meetings and classes being conducted? Mary Swank, owner of Simply Swank in Hudson, Ohio understands the importance of this topic. “When a client says ‘no’ to a sale, it often means she just didn’t get enough information,” she explains. “Know the features and benefits of every product on the shelf and every service on the menu.” She also suggests you take advantage of all the classes offered by your distributor. In addition to understanding what your salon offers, learn to assess what your client needs. If she’s changed her style from smooth to springy, it’s time to switch from a straightening balm to a curl-enhancing spray. Remember this, the more you know, the more likely you will be to offer a smart solution to whatever challenge your client faces. Get 9 more retailing and sales strategies.

Itch, itch, scratch, scratch; sounds like someone has a bad case of the eczema blues! Salon pros’ hands take a beating on a daily basis, and BTC BFF Kristine Jones from Diane’s Beautyworks in North Palm Beach, Florida can totally relate. She suffers from eczema and it’s become a little more than unbearable these days. “I have it from being in water a lot,” she explains. “I use steroid creams and Aquaphor and I use gloves sometimes when I shampoo, but I find it awkward.” She asked her fellow BFFs for some advice and we were surprised to see how many other pros suffer from the same condition. “The best thing I’ve found for my eczema is Arbonne FC5 Skin Conditioning Oil. This stuff works like a charm,” says BFF Melissa Wilson. Another option comes from BFF Dana Carterc, who slathers her hands once a month in hydrocortisone balm then lays in a tanning bed for 5-10 minutes. The most unusual and intriguing advice comes from BFF Avvy Phillips Fenton, who claims emu oil is the way to go. “If you want an extra-intensive treatment, apply the pure oil with a Clarisonic Mia skin brush,” she says.

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On June 6, 2011, finalists will compete for cash and educational prizes at the P&G Salon Professional Student Stylist Competition during Premiere Orlando, and BTC will be front and center for the entire experience! Earlier this year at ABS in Chicago, P&G gave this same opportunity to thousands of students while hosting its first education panel. During the 2-hour panel discussion, audience members asked the esteemed panel—which included The Doves; Lynelle Lynch, owner of Bellus School Academy; Sassoon Academy Executive Education Director Stephen Moody and surprise speaker Nick Arrojo—questions how to further their careers. Our favorite moment was when George-Anna Wilson from Wisconsin asked the panel for tips on becoming an educator. After Christopher Dove shared his personal story of how taking the Sassoon Academy’s five-day ABC Cutting course changed his path, Stephen Moody added “George-Anna, I would like you to come to Chicago and take the ABC cutting course at our academy on me.” When a tearful George-Anna excitedly accepted and said, “This is a dream come true!” it instantly warmed our hearts! See more dreams come true at the P&G Salon Professional Student Stylist Competition in Orlando!

Color services can get complicated fast. For example, on a new client you might find that the locks pull warm tones. To compensate, you apply a demi-permanent on top to cool down the color. When the client comes back, you won’t remember this unless you have a hard drive in your brain. That’s why it’s important to carefully record information about every color service, including formulas, processing times and notes on porosity or any other condition, says Ruh Webb, owner of TM Salon in Sherman Oaks, CA. She stays level headed during a busy day by keeping color records on index cards in a file box at her station. “Keeping accurate notes helps you remember more complicated services,” she says. So while you’re still thinking about the color scenario (while the client is in your chair, or just after she leaves), start inking. Make a note about what product or formula you used, and what you think would work better next time. It keeps you from repeating time-consuming mistakes. “Neglecting to note even one appointment can double the time it takes you to complete a service, and you might even lose the client,” Ruh adds. FREE colortrak goodie bag with over $65 worth of color accessories!