
This one-day digital event is designed to help beauty professionals like you unlock bold strategies, lead with confidence, and embrace the future of the industry. Whether you’re a stylist, salon owner, or educator, this is your opportunity to gain the tools, insights, and connections to Empower your business, your career, and your vision for what’s possible.




"It was amazing!! Worth blocking my day out! My biggest take away was to make use of my huge windows... If I have to change up my commission structure, I will do it with new employees!"
"Honestly everything was so great. I was taken away by how many amazing professionals came together. I loved it all... Thank you so much for everything. You are amazing."
"I felt really good being around like minded people who were just like me. The answers were spot on! I feel that it's just the beginning and look forward to the future."
"I loved every session I was in. I left feeling inspired to elevate my guest experience... I was very inspired by the whole collection of great mentors."
"Super unique and innovative. Loved the concept, loved the education, the line up and all of it... Biggest take away is we're not alone."
"Too many things to list, but my biggest takeaways were building a Leadership Team to help us grow our business and share the responsibilities."
"38 years as a stylist and I continue to gather more to share with others! You continue to bring awareness and raise the bar in our industry! Thank you!!"
"Very impressed with the whole program really! The training programs for new hires were what i tuned into the most as i am currently holding down the fort myself."
"Jason. You guys are very inspiring. I need to learn how to hire people. My salon needs a lot of help."
"Mostly helping me understand where I need to focus on my sales and where my money needs to go. Using retail as something to supply my inventory..."
"The conference was awesome! I really enjoyed learning about Salon scale and automating our onboarding... I felt like I received a lot of value!"
"How different salons deal with different difficulties and situations. Wasn't sure I wanted to sign up but will definitely look forward to another."
"I have worked in this industry for 47 years... it was good to get a little nudge to look outside MY box!!!"
"I just opened a small studio.. biggest takeaway was that one day I'm going to have to open a big studio and hire some employees!"
"The thing that stuck out the most was Celine talking about how to fix problems that you're having by looking at the why."
"Your energy and support is infectious."
"I was surprised to find out that only 7% of salons are profitable, so that actually gave me some hope that I'm not alone."
"Renewed empowerment and confirmation that I'm ready to step back into the industry with passion, experience, and a fresh perspective."

Jason Everett is the Founder and CEO of High Performance Salon Academy, the leading coaching program for commission-based salon owners. With a high-energy coaching style, he helps salon owners increase profits, build powerhouse teams, and create businesses that give them more freedom. His innovative strategies have transformed thousands of salons, making them more successful and sustainable.
As a sought-after speaker and industry leader, Jason is passionate about revolutionizing the salon business model. He and the High Performance Salon Academy are proud to host the 2nd annual Empower Conference, empowering the entire beauty industry to achieve unstoppable success.

Ronan Perceval is the Founder and CEO of Phorest Software. The idea for Phorest was sparked back in 2003, when Ronan worked as a receptionist in a fast-paced Dublin salon.
That role gave him a deep understanding of the challenges that salon owners were facing, and that's where the idea of Phorest Software was born. Since then, Phorest has grown to support 11,000+ salons across 7 countries, powered by a team of 430+ employees. For Ronan, Phorest is about more than software, it’s a shared mission with the community to build a stronger industry.

Co-Founder &
Joshua Howard is the Founder and CEO of Vish, the leading color management software transforming how salons handle inventory and profit. With a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and a background in medical research, Joshua brings a unique, data-driven perspective to the beauty industry.
While he began his career analyzing physiological data at institutions like St. Michael’s Hospital, Joshua realized that the same rigor could be applied to a completely different challenge: hair color waste. He founded Vish to help salon owners stop pouring profits down the drain, using technology to track formulas, reduce waste, and guarantee revenue. At Empower 2026, Joshua bridges the gap between science and the salon, teaching owners how to make data-backed decisions that streamline operations and dramatically increase the bottom line.

Kati Whitledge is a trailblazer in marketing for the beauty and wellness industry. As a dynamic speaker, accomplished podcaster and author, she is also the Founder and CEO of mya a cutting-edge client recruitment and marketing platform designed specifically for beauty and wellness professionals.
Under Kati's leadership, mya has matched over half a million consumers with beauty professionals, generating over $25 million in revenue for its partners. With an ambitious goal driving $50 million in revenue to her partners by the end of 2026, Kati is on a mission to transform the way businesses are supported and thrive in the beauty and wellness space.

Stacey Soble has been involved in the conversation of salon business for nearly three decades—as a reporter, a consultant, and the editor-in-chief of SALON TODAY and BARBERING TODAY. In her role as a director of brand content, she develops the content for the brands’ digital, print, and social media, as well as live events. She has been responsible for growing the brand’s celebrated recognition programs — SALON TODAY 200, SALONS OF THE YEAR, and STAMP (SALON TODAY’s Annual Marketing Program).
She also directs the content for Data-Driven Salon Summit, an event that brings together salon, spa, and barbershop owners to understand how data can lead to better business decisions to fuel growth and success.

Chief Executive Officer
Leslie Perry is the CEO of the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), bringing a unique blend of "boardroom brilliance and salon-floor soul" to her leadership. As a licensed esthetician and former beauty business owner, Leslie isn't just an executive; she is a professional who fiercely leads on behalf of other professionals.
Her passion is deeply personal, rooted in a childhood spent sweeping hair and folding towels in her mother’s salon. Today, she champions education, equity, innovation, and advocacy for the entire industry, from major manufacturers to individual stylists. At Empower 2026, Leslie shares her vision for a unified, inclusive beauty community, grounded in her lifelong belief that this industry doesn’t just transform appearances…it transforms lives.

Chris Baran is a hairdressing legend who rose to prominence alongside icons like Vidal Sassoon and Paul Mitchell. A NAHA award-winning stylist and Educator of the Year, Chris has trained thousands of stylists worldwide to master the art of hair design.
He’s the creator of the revolutionary Design and Finishing System™ and the Salon Associate Accelerator, which helps salons train new hires in just 3 months. With a legacy of innovation and education, Chris is a must-see speaker for anyone ready to master their craft and develop high-performing teams.

VP SALES & MARKETING
Alain Audet is Vice President, Sales and Marketing at SalonInteractive, where he leads market development, partnerships, and sales enablement initiatives for the KIM Report and On Behalf Marketing.
He is known for turning salon performance data into clear, practical decisions that owners and stylists can apply immediately, from service mix and pricing to productivity, retention, and capacity planning.
A beauty industry veteran, Alain holds an MBA from the University of Hull in England and has held leadership roles across professional haircare, salon technology, and industry organizations, including Phorest Salon Software, the Allied Beauty Association, and L’Oréal, where he worked closely with the salon channel on growth and education.

Founder and CEO
Billy Davison is the Founder and CEO of Occipital Salon Marketing, where he is dedicated to helping salons and spas dominate the digital landscape. With a passion for the beauty industry and a deep understanding of online behavior, Billy equips businesses with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
Specializing in strategic online marketing, innovative web development, and effective SEO, Billy helps salon owners move beyond "vanity metrics" to focus on what matters: growing their clientele. At Empower 2026, Billy shares his proven roadmap for driving traffic, enhancing visibility, and converting casual website visitors into loyal, long-term customers.

Stephanie Jacobs-Russell is a former hairstylist turned Psychological Safety Facilitator and Coach. With over 20 years in the beauty industry and nearly two decades as an educator, Stephanie recognized a critical gap in how salons handle leadership and mental wellbeing. Witnessing rising burnout and fatigue among professionals, she dedicated her career to solving the "human" side of the business.
She is the creator of internationally recognized programs like Psychologically Safe Service and Protect Your Energy. At Empower 2026, Stephanie presents "The Invisible Advantage," exploring the unseen condition that allows teams to collaborate with ease and clients to feel genuinely cared for. She demonstrates how taking radical responsibility for emotional health isn't just "soft skills"…it’s a strategic move that decreases friction and ignites a ripple effect of success for your bottom line.

As Director of Client & Partner Relations for Aura Salonware and Rosy Salon Software, Lori Obiedzinski brings multiple perspectives to her position. In her 20 years of beauty industry experience, she has been a stylist, salon/operations manager, multi-location regional manager, distributor sales manager, and now brings her expertise to software.
Lori discovered the leadership/management aspect of the industry early in her career. She realized that she was drawn to the business side even more than she enjoyed being behind the chair.

Leslie Groves is a Salon Design Expert and a key leader at Collins Co, the premier American manufacturer of salon furnishings. With a career spanning over three decades, Leslie brings a rare dual perspective to the industry: she began as an aesthetician in 1992 before transitioning into the world of design and manufacturing.
Leslie believes that a salon is more than just a pretty space. It is a profit center. She specializes in helping owners maximize their square footage, ensuring that "every square inch is making money, not costing money." Whether she is teaching the "Customer Eyes" exercise to help owners see their space from a new perspective or guiding a remodel to replace underutilized areas with high-revenue services, Leslie’s goal is to marry top-tier quality with operational efficiency. At Empower 2026, she is here to show you why quality furniture is a tool of the trade and how smart design can drive your bottom line.

Tom Kuhn is the Founder and CEO of Qnity, a global education and consulting company that merges the power of visual creativity with the rigor of finance. A former CPA and multi-location salon owner, Tom is recognized as the beauty industry’s trusted financial expert, dedicated to replacing financial fear with confidence.
Noticing a major gap in financial literacy within the beauty world, Tom developed a simple, visual approach to numbers that resonates with creative professionals. He is the creator of the 2to10 Project, a board member for Beauty Changes Lives, and an advisor to top businesses on profitability and transition planning. At Empower 2026, Tom brings his unique blend of "left brain" expertise and "right brain" empathy to the stage, equipping salon owners and teams with the practical tools they need for long-term financial sustainability.

Most salon hiring systems are built for resumes and job boards, so owners get ghosting, no-shows, and a stack of resumes that waste time and cost real bookings.
In this session, you’ll learn why the resume-first approach breaks down (especially with AI), and how to replace it with a portfolio-first talent funnel that turns interest into real conversations and qualified applicants.
We’ll walk through the key steps to build an always-on pipeline that improves candidate quality, reduces drop-off, and helps you keep every shift staffed.

Lexi Lomax is a Salon Business Coach, Mentor, and the host of the popular 10 Minute Beauty Business Podcast. With nearly two decades of experience as a successful salon owner in San Diego, Lexi has built her career on a single, powerful mission: helping beauty professionals make more money without adding more hours behind the chair.
A self-proclaimed "reformed workaholic," Lexi understands the unique pressure of balancing creativity with commerce. She is the founder of Salon Quarterly and the creator of Salon Visibility, programs designed to help owners streamline their systems and tackle the mindset blocks that keep them stuck. At Empower 2026, Lexi brings her "failed forward" philosophy to the stage, teaching salon teams how to make the hard stuff easy and build a business that supports their life...not the other way around.

Chris has been delivering education for over three decades, and is committed to help shape a brighter future for the hair, beauty and wellness industries helping people teach their best.
Renowned for engaging education, Chris regularly collaborates with prestigious
international brands in Hair; Beauty, Skincare, Fragrance and Pharmaceuticals.
Chris has also been very active in the online education space for over 10 years,
pioneering and delivering interactive E-Learning online events for global
audiences.

Beverly Shortt is the Assistant Vice President of Sales and Education Development for the L'Oreal Professional Products Division, the world’s leading partner to the beauty profession.
In her role, Beverly operates at the critical intersection of business growth and artistry, driving strategies that empower salons to thrive in a competitive market.
Representing a portfolio of iconic brands, Beverly is dedicated to the belief that education is the engine of sales. She champions development programs that do more than just teach technique...they build sustainable businesses.
At Empower 2026, Beverly brings the global perspective of L'Oreal to the main stage, sharing insights on how top-tier education and strategic sales planning can elevate your salon from good to world-class.

Sam Bewley challenges salon owners to rethink where the industry is headed and shows them how to actually take advantage of constant change.
Born and raised in the salon professional world as the son of Eufora founders Don and Beth Bewley, Sam brings a rare combination of lifelong industry insight and modern business perspective.
As Director of Marketing and Creative Services at Eufora, he keeps a constant finger on the pulse of both the industry and modern consumer behavior. Having worked with salons globally, Sam is known for his direct approach and tangible, systems-based content.
He believes salons don’t need to wait for change - they can design it.

Lindsey Compton is the founder of The Style Lounge Salon and co-founder of The MOD Medspa in Austin, Minnesota. With nearly 30 years behind the chair, she has built two thriving brands known for culture, leadership, and community impact. A longtime mentor with High Performance Salon Academy,
Lindsey empowers beauty professionals to build six-figure careers with purpose and balance. As a wife, mom, and coach, she leads with grit and grace, helping others rewrite their stories and rise into their full potential.

Mandy Pulse is the founder of Salon Inspire in Kansas City and the nonprofit Global Stylist Scholarship, both dedicated to empowering beauty professionals through education, mentorship, and service. With over 20 years in the industry and firsthand experience in commission, booth rental, and salon ownership models,
Mandy brings a well-rounded perspective to salon growth and leadership. As a mentor with High Performance Salon Academy, she helps salon owners and stylists lead with clarity and build values-based careers. Known for her heart-led leadership and commitment to global impact, Mandy inspires others to dream big and make a difference through beauty.

Danielle Cherewyk is the CEO and Founder of The Headroom Salon and Peak Beauty Company in Grande Prairie, Alberta - two award-winning brands known for innovation, education, and elevated client experience. A second-generation salon owner with over 20 years in the industry, Danielle blends artistry and business strategy to mentor beauty professionals and salon owners alike.
As a Redken Certified Colourist, Master Educator, and Little Voice Mastery Coach, she leads with systems, mindset, and mentorship at the core. Danielle also serves as a coach for High Performance Salon Academy, helping owners create more profit and peace through proven frameworks for branding, inventory, and leadership.

Founder & CEO
Celene Dupuis is the CEO and Founder of Revamp Salon Company Inc. in Saskatoon, Canada, with over 25 years of global experience as a hairstylist, educator, and speaker. An award-winning leader in the beauty industry, her work has been featured in Hello! Canada, ELLE Magazine, and more. As HPSA’s 2025 Mentor of the Year,
Celene brings deep passion for education, community, and personal transformation. Through her coaching and speaking, she empowers others to embrace their full story, proving that healing and success can exist side by side.

Lia Hakim is the founder and CEO of Hott Salons and Hott Blowdry & Beauty Lounge, a multi-location salon brand and national franchise empowering women through clean beauty and business ownership. A breast cancer survivor, single mom, and 34-year flight attendant, Lia has built a thriving company that blends purpose with profit.
Lia is also a leadership coach and mentor with High Performance Salon Academy, where she supports salon owners across North America in building strong, sustainable businesses, and proving that resilience, vision, and grit can rewrite what’s possible.

Founder & CEO
Holly Fox is the founder and CEO of Metropolitan Salon & Spa in La Crosse, Wisconsin, a multi-department beauty and wellness company rooted in education, growth, and purpose. With over 30 years in the beauty industry, Holly has worked with multiple professional brands and built a culture where learning and leadership go hand in hand.
A yoga teacher, educator, and mom of four, she blends mindfulness with strategy to help others rise. As a mentor and facilitator with High Performance Salon Academy, Holly guides salon owners in creating sustainable, people-first businesses where success starts from within.

Mandy McCullough is the founder of Fix Salon and a mentor with High Performance Salon Academy. A devoted hairstylist and educator, she has spent the past 22 years with Redken helping elevate the technical and creative mastery of salon professionals around the world.
Mandy’s passion lies in redefining what it means to be a hairstylist. Championing purpose, professionalism, and pride within the beauty industry. Through her work both behind the chair and in the classroom, she empowers others to see their craft not just as a career, but as a calling.

Cindi Mausehund is the co-owner of Metropolitan Salon & Spa, a leading L’ANZA Healing Center rooted in wellness and transformation. Beginning her beauty career 26 years ago at Metropolitan’s front desk, she grew from nail technician to Customer Care Manager, where she mentored and empowered hundreds of team members before becoming an owner in 2019.
Under her leadership, Metropolitan has evolved into a thriving, wellness-driven brand where guest care, team growth, and business excellence intersect. As a coach and mentor with High Performance Salon Academy, Cindi helps beauty professionals believe in their potential, lead with heart, and prove that growth and grace can coexist in business.

Founder & CEO
Alicia Austin is the Founder and CEO of SalonScale, the revolutionary technology solution that has brought transparency to the back bar and put over $20 million of profit back into salons. A true industry disruptor, Alicia’s journey is anything but traditional. She began as an award-winning hairstylist before building a million-dollar salon, launching a national eCommerce site, and ultimately taking the leap into tech.
Alicia transformed a simple idea…weighing color, into a global movement that empowers salon owners to become profitable entrepreneurs. She is also the author of The Scale, a memoir released in October 2024 that chronicles her path as a "heart-centric, numbers-focused" female founder. At Empower 2026, Alicia shares her honest, straight-talking advice on how to embrace your numbers, own your worth, and build a business that truly serves you.


You want to attract more clients, create a positive team culture, and grow profitability.
You’re looking for strategies that will help you lead with confidence and expand your business.
You want to become a leader in the industry and make a bigger impact on your community.

For the Stylist, Educator, or Aspiring Leader:
You’re looking for opportunities to take on leadership roles and mentor others.
You’re excited to be part of a community that supports innovation and creativity.

You’re passionate about your career and want to learn from the best in the industry.
You’re ready to Empower your skills, mindset, and influence, no matter your current role.
You want to connect with like-minded professionals and create lasting relationships that inspire growth.




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