Archives for January 2009

January 25, 2009 (Raleigh, NC) – Owners of Samuel Cole Salon, Jack & Joelle Ray, took time to honor their teams’ accomplishments at their Annual Awards Show Dinner featuring “The Bobie’s”, “The Passion” and “The Biggie’s” Awards. This year’s red carpet event was held at Bonefish Grill at North Hills. The Hollywood inspired event celebrates the achievements of their incredibly talented teams at both Samuel Cole Salon.

“We believe in the old saying- work hard and play hard. We are so inspired by the accomplishments of our amazing team. We look forward to this night all year long, it is a complete blast”, said Joelle Ray, who served as one of the co-hosts of the show.

The “Bobie Awards”, named for the classic haircut, The Bob, celebrate the individual personality of each stylist and their unique spirit. “Everyone looks forward to seeing what they will be voted, Most likely to… ?. Our team is always on the edge of their seats with anticipation”, said Sara Beard, co- host of the awards show.

The “Passion Awards” celebrate & recognized those team members that consistently go above and beyond in their dedication and commitment to be the very best. The Rays thanked each deserving recipient for their enthusiasm and passion. Passion Awards where given to each stylist or team member that goes above and beyond, whether it be volunteering their talents at fashion shows and photo shoots or standing out in their role as Managers or as Network Educators.

“We feel that you have to celebrate and recognize excellence. People need to know that their efforts matter and are appreciated. Going the extra mile goes a long way in our organization”, says owner Jack Ray.

The Biggie” Awards are all about performance. “The winners of these awards standout even among a group of high achievers, these people are dynamic”, says Joelle Ray.

The awards included: The 2008 Stylist of the Year, The 2008 Client Educator of the Year, The 2008 Stylist of the Year Runner Up, The 2008 Client Educator of the Year Runner Up, The 2008 Carpe Diem Award,  The 2008 “Go To Girl”, and The 2008 Guest Services Award.

January 18, 2009 (Raleigh, NC) – Jack and Joelle Ray, the husband and wife team that created Samuel Cole Salon in North Raleigh, sharpened their professional edge with the latest techniques, skills, business acumen, and tips at the 2009 Redken Symposium at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

For three days the Rays, together with other salon professionals from all over the world, were taught and inspired by renowned educators in the industry. Jack attended the Stylist based classes on the latest hair trends, creative color techniques, and on design and finishing. Classes included “Custom Color” with David Stanko – identifying yourself as a successful colorist and getting in touch with new and different clients; “Curl Crazy” with Jill Leitz & Danny Felstead – bringing out the best in a variety of curl textures (60% of the world’s population has curly hair); “The Best Blondes” with Tisha Hall & Jayson Morgan – understanding how to create beautiful, suitable blondes on all levels of hair and skin tones. “I love to learn anything new to bring back to my extensive clientele. It is important to me to stay inspired, that way I am always in a position to give the best to my clients, said Jack Ray.

Joelle attended the business acumen classes. These classes included “Brand It!” with industry leaders, Rodney Cutler & Patrick Mcivor – finding your salon’s signature brand; “Reinventing Space” with the author of this very popular book by the same title, Peter Millard – the “do’s” and “don’ts” of salon layouts and décor; “Bold Initiatives” with Peter Mahoney & Michael Cole – how to better prepare your salon to face this unstable economy. “I was completely impressed with the amazing ideas, inspiration, knowledge and motivation that was presented. Our association with Redken gives us access to unbelievable quality education”, said Joelle Ray.

The trip to Las Vegas featured more than business and inspiration. Joelle surprised Jack by whisking him away in a white limo to renew their vows in true Las Vegas style. Elvis himself presided over the ceremony that was held at the Graceland Chapel. “Aren’t you supposed to get married when you go to Vegas? I thought it was a law or something”, quipped Jack Ray.