Andrew Finkelstein has over thirty years experience in the professional beauty industry, including positions as President of Jean Louis David USA, Vice President of marketing and retail for Glemby International and Vice President of Stores for Cut Co Industries. He's been around long enough to see both the metamorphosis of beauty salons into today's day spas, the creation of the medical spa industry as well humble beginnings of today's professional retail business.
Mr. Finkelstein began his career fresh out the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of business, when he joined Federated Department Stores' executive training squad intending to work in the retail business. But the lure of the beauty salon business intervened, and he was soon working for his family's business Glemby International. At Glemby he started behind a reception desk and learned the nuts and bolts of the salon. Getting out from "behind the desk" and demonstrating his ability to run a group of salons in the US, the company transferred him to London where he ran the London salons as well as the company's training center.
The opportunity to work with some of the world's finest hairdressers including Kenneth, Garren, Oribe to name but a few drew Mr. Finkelstein back to the US, where he ran the company's prestigious New York City Group - with salons in Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel and The Plaza Hotel among other places. Here he and his team created and marketed the country's first day spa in a specialty store - where among other things they installed the nation's first dental esthetics salon as well as the prototype for today's pedicure "throne". When the style director's position became available at the company's Bergdorf Goodman salon Mr. Finkelstein discovered and recruited Frederic Fekkai. Together they put Frederic's name on the door.
Mr. Finkelstein realized that retail was growing increasingly important in the salon, so in addition to the salons and day spas he ran he also got involved with product end of the business and ran the company's marketing, training and private label retail product group.
When the family sold the company Mr. Finkelstein went to work for CutCo Industries, a public company, where he ran the company owned salons and developed that company's franchise prototype day spa.
Mr. Finkelstein seized the opportunity to work with legendary beauty industry visionary and entrepreneur Jean Louis David, President of Jean Louis David, USA.
He founded The Beauty Resource in 2003 and concentrates his time and talents on helping beauty salon and day spa owners as well as small professional salon industry manufacturers get more clients and run more profitable enterprises.
His philosophy is based upon the following tenets: Profitability is not
optional, Salons/Day Spas can and should be great places to work, it all starts with the owner/manager, you don't need a degree from Harvard to run a widely successful salon/day spa business and the biggest obstacle to a salon/day spa owner's success is himself (or herself).
He works with salon/day spa as a coach, consultant and trainer using a variety of leadership and marketing programs and products. He believes that different clients need different things. One size doesn't fit all. Although he has variety of programs that address a wide variety of issues, he approaches each salon/day spa with the same attitude: Mr. Finkelstein works with you to produce sustainable results for you and your business with the least amount of struggle.
Mr. Finkelstein publishes The Finkelstein Report - the industry's #1 E-Zine and salon/day spa management guide. He is also a contributing editor to Strategies Magazine where he writes the New Leader column. He has served as Vice President of Beauty Cares and is currently a member of the Day Spa Association, The Professional Beauty Association.
THIS PROFILE HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY THIS MONTH'S SPA PERSON AND IS BEING PRESENTED AS GIVEN TO THE DSA. STATEMENTS AND CLAIMS MADE DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE DAY SPA ASSOCIATION AND WE DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENTS.
