Victoria Usher

 

“You don’t choose hairdressing; hairdressing chooses you.” – Victoria Usher

Beginning her career in Beverly Hills as a colorist, Victoria came to learn and love all that L’Oreal Professionnel has to offer. Everything from the amazing color palette, technology and the partnership one makes when choosing L’Oreal Professionnel.

Her education with L’Oreal Professionnel led her to becoming a master colorist in Beverly Hills. Her intense passion for L’Oreal Professionnel created opportunities for Victoria to elevate her career and work as a sales consultant for Salon Centric (Formally Maly’s) in the Southern California market where she led the nation in color conversions two years in a row. Because of her care for salons and stylists alike, Victoria made another career move into the role of Sales and Education Coordinator for the Southern California market preparing education plans for salons, managing the local team of artists and teaching daily in L’Oreal Professionnel salons.

After starting a family, Victoria decided to leave her full time role with L’Oreal Professionnel to become an artist for L’Oreal Professionnel specializing in color correction blonding and balayage. Eight years ago she got the amazing opportunity to come back to L’Oreal Professionnel as Sales and Education Coordinator for the Southern California market, a role she knew well and took great pride in doing. In 2012 she became the Education Development Manager for the West managing 8 states and 100 artists as well as the corporate field education team. Today; Victoria Usher is the Director of Education for the Western United States for L’Oreal Professionnel. She oversees education in 30 states, coaches over 100 artists for L’Oreal Professionnel, manages and coaches the corporate education team for the West and develops business, artists and programs for the company. Her mission is always to choose the right artist for the right salons based on the salons needs. Victoria wants to leave a legacy in this industry, a legacy of great education and great hairdressing.

Victoria believes whole-heartedly in the L’Oreal Professionnel core values and vows. “Sharing leads to success.”

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What does a “typical” day look like for Victoria?

There are 2 scenarios; home or on the road. If I am on the road (that is 50% of the time), I wake up at 6:00am usually in a Marriott Hotel somewhere in the 30 states I oversee Education for with L’Oreal Professionnel. I order room service, coffee is a must and I check my social media to see what is happening in the world. I call my husband and kiddos to wish them a good day and tell them I love them. I check my emails before I get ready in my favorite black outfit; I have many as most of us in the industry do and meet up with the education or sales person I am working with for the day. We visit anywhere from 4-8 salons and I get to do what I love most, visit with salons and stylists and see how we can be of service to their business. I check text messages all day as I get questions from my team I manage throughout the day. What the heck did we do before smart phones??? We usually end the day with taking a client to dinner. Then back to the hotel and time for my evening email check in to see what business needs to be followed up on for the day. Facetime the family and then some down time; I catch up with my favorite shows on Bravo or News and then time for my beauty sleep. If I am home in Los Angeles and working from my home office, it is a 6:00am start time for me, coffee again is a must and I check my social media before my household wakes up. This includes my husband, 2 kids, 2 dogs and 2 cats! We have a full house! I have breakfast with the family before the kids are off to school and at 7:30am PST calls begin. I spend a lot of the day on the phone with clients or with one of my 9 full time team members I lead and manage as well as conference calls (I do a lot of them, dozens a week!!) for special projects I work on for L’Oreal Professionnel. I answer emails. Pick up the kids from school, have dinner with the family, take the kids to baseball practice or one of their afterschool lessons. Cuddles on the couch with the family. Then shampoo rinse repeat the next day!

 

Tell us everything we need to know about L’Oreal?

There is so much!! It is an amazing organization to work for and with. Between the innovation of products and the artistry and talent of the hairdressers we work alongside with, I consider myself so fortunate to be a part of the company. Not only is L’Oreal USA a great company with great products and artistry but I love their social contributions. Did you know that in 2017 L’Oreal USA received a triple A rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project to help fight climate change. Additionally L’Oreal USA is committed to carbon neutrality in all 21 of our U.S. plants. We truly make the world a more beautiful place.

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Tell us what your personal journey looked like going from behind the chair to Director of Edu for L’Oreal.

It all started for me 20 years ago this last October when I became a licensed hairdresser. I worked in Beverly Hills for Umberto Salon where I was a color specialist. This is officially when I became a hair nerd. I loved the education L’Oreal Professionnel provided our salon monthly and found myself teaching naturally while in the salon behind the chair. I wanted to work for L’Oreal but did not know where to start. So I got a job working for Maly’s (this was one of the West Coast distributors before Salon Centric) in the Maly’s stores. I learned so much about sales, education and the many brands they distributed. I met an amazing lady by the name of Susie Bechtel (shout out to Susie B!) who was the sales manager for Maly’s for outside sales. I begged her for a job in the field in sales. She told me if I was still in the store a year later working for the company she would consider giving me a shot in the field. A year later she gave me that opportunity as an outside sales consultant. My career took off from there. I worked for the brand as a L’Oreal Sales and Education Coordinator in So. Cal until I had my kids, when I did I stepped down from my full time role to raise them but stayed on as a contacted artist and taught weekly. A few years later I came back to L’Oreal Professionnel in a full time capacity as an Education Development Manager for the 7 western United States, then my territory and team grew from there and today I manage the education and business for 30 states, 9 full-time Educators and 100 artists. Not bad for 20 years of hard work and determination!

 

What is the biggest challenge you face in your career?

Well, based on the Fortune 500 list last year in 2017 women only held 6.4% of the CEO roles. I would love to see women in business continue to break those glass ceilings and lead amazing organizations with their new ideas and fresh innovations. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given. The hard work I put into developing and leading my team plus my ambition will help me get to a place where I can also help future women in business lead in top roles in organizations.

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What traumatic hairstyle have you been guilty of rocking?

Perms. I grew up in the 80’s it was a rite of passage. Guilty as charged.

 

What’s so great about this industry and why?

We get to work with people. We get to make them look and feel amazing every single day. I can’t think of any better superpower than that. Human connection is everything and hairdressers are epic at it.

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Your job has allowed you to meet a lot of stylists. What one key trait do you think all awesomely, successful stylists share?

Their empathy. All really great hairdressers are more than their licenses or their artistry, they connect with people. They do so in a way no other profession can. Think about it, a hairdresser is present and making you look fabulous on some of your most important days in your life. When you go to a fancy event, or graduate school, before a new date or when you get married, maybe when you take a family portrait or before the funeral of one of your loved ones. I even know some people who get a blow out before they give birth to their children….true story. You want to look your best on your special days of your life! You must be so much more than just talented hairdresser to be invited into someone’s life this way. The ability to have empathy for people, to love and listen to your clients can take this career to a whole other level.

You have some of the cutest kids ever. How do you balance it all?

Thank you and I agree they are pretty darn cute, not to mention super smart. Sorry proud mom moment, guilty as charged. Planning, scheduling and communication those are the keys. Many years ago, I read the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and today I still practice those steps to stay organized and balanced. However, certainly do not do it alone, my husband Philip is amazing support and we divide and conquer. It is important for our kids to see that their mom has purpose and lives on purpose. Raising them is my most important job but also being personally fulfilled as a human is important and that there is the balance. I love people. I love to help people. I am grateful for every day I wake up and get to continue to lead and serve others in every aspect of my life.

 

If you were a cocktail, what would you be?

Some would say I am not so much the cocktail but more the straw that stirs the drink. Wink wink.

 

Best advice for cosmo students/new professionals.

Say yes to any new opportunities that come your way. Don’t let fear get in the way of doing something outside your comfort zone. No matter what you will learn and gain experience and long term that is going to make you an outstanding professional.

 

I knew I was a hair nerd when…

I would formulate stranger’s haircolor while standing behind them in the grocery store. Yep, I make hair contact before I make eye contact. I still do this so beware if you are in front of me in line at a store!

 

Where can people find out more information about You and L’Oreal?

You can go to www.lorealprofessionnel.com for brand information or follow L’Oreal Professionnel on FB at L’Oreal Professionnel and IG @lorealpro

For more info on me you can follow me on FB at Victoria Usher or IG @victorialynnusher