Use your exclusive Pivot Point discount code, RSOT10, to claim 10% off your ticket to Redken Education, Redken Gallerie, Inspirational Hair Shows and The Redken Bash.
Join The Redken Collective, and the industry’s most influential artists and ambassadors, for two days of live and in-person education at Redken Symposium On Tour: The Power Connection.
Choose from Orlando, FL, 19 & 20 of March or Dallas, TX 11 & 12 of June.
Wait no more! Our latest curriculum, Fundamentals: Nails, is now available.
The nail industry is booming with new trends, techniques and products. It can be difficult to know what’s important for today’s students, especially with the amount of content they are exposed to on social media.
Our Pivot Point team spent over 1,200 hours researching the latest trends and licensure requirements. And we worked with a diverse group of industry experts to ensure our curriculum prepares students to pass their exams and become well-rounded professionals. From basic nail care to advanced nail art techniques to E-filing, our curriculum covers everything your students need to know to pass the State Board and enter the market successfully.
So how does it all come together? Our learning strategies focus on information retention, including activities that help keep students engaged and test their knowledge for feedback. Our hands-on workshops include both skills and service workshops. Skills workshops allow your students to master techniques, while service workshops allow them to build critical-thinking skills to adapt to individual clients’ needs.
But our focus goes beyond just the student. Fundamentals: Nails was built specifically to streamline processes and make the lives of your educators easier. Within in-lesson resources, curriculum support materials and our learning path functionality, our curriculum will help take the pressure off planning and delivery so your educators can do what they do best—educate.
Check out our video to get an inside look into Fundamentals: Nails!
The most trusted name in hair and beauty education, sharing timeless concepts, innovative educational tools, effective teaching methods and modern technology, Pivot Point International continually evolves to meet the changing needs of beauty schools and each new generation of students. Pivot Point was founded on imagination, creativity, innovation, passion, perseverance and a commitment to supporting the beauty industry. Our mission to challenge the status quo and fearlessly aim higher has inspired millions worldwide.
As the driving force behind digital learning for hair and beauty education, Pivot Point has been pushing industry innovation for more than 60 years. Beginning with founder Leo Passage in 1962, three generations of Passage family leadership have committed to his legacy of doing what’s right, making a difference and never compromising integrity, ethics or trust.
Pivot Point proudly embraces its corporate responsibility through its ethical manufacturing and social accountability standards established in the production of its premium mannequins and educational tools. Pivot Point’s technology platform, focused curriculum and educational tools can be found on six continents, used by industry professionals and educating hundreds of thousands of students each year.
Beauty remains our only industry, and Pivot Point wishes to thank all the school owners, educators, students, salon owners, beauty professionals, industry associations, media, influencers, manufacturers and international partners who have contributed to our 60 years of growth. We look forward to continuing to provide industry inspiration, support and leadership.
Pivot Point will continue to provide support and leadership for our industry – sharing cutting-edge content, tools and technology, empowering schools, instructors, students, salons and beauty professionals to enjoy their greatest success.
To quote Pivot Point’s original textbook, A Scientific Approach to Hair Design – “This book does not end on the final page. It begins here.”
Read our new timeline, and experience our historical moments of education, innovation and celebration by clicking on the link below.
Pivot Point Academy was awarded the Golden School Award as School of the Year at the annual American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) conference in New Orleans. Pivot Point Academy was recognized in the tier one category, which includes school groups with less than 400 total students.
AACS is a national, nonprofit association representing privately owned cosmetology, skin, nails, barbering and massage schools, with the goal of advancing careers in beauty and wellness through education.
The academy, located in Bloomingdale, IL, is co-owned by Denise Provenzano, Frank Ellermeyer, and Pivot Point International.
Denise, also the owner of the Zano chain of salons and spas, manages the school’s day-to-day operations with a strong focus on student salon readiness.
Frank, former Chief Technology Officer of McDonald’s Corporation and Cloud Executive Advisor at Amazon Web Services Cloud, manages the school’s digital strategies and marketing.
Pivot Point International, founded in 1962 by Leo Passage to elevate beauty industry education, remains committed to his legacy of providing sustainable careers through the use of the school as its research academy.
“Supporting the future success and growth of our students is what drives Frank and I to always keep moving towards excellence. As a model for our students and our staff, hard work, desire and passion together can be the fuel for success. How fortunate are we to be in the best industry to make this happen!” – Denise Provenzano, Pivot Point Academy
“Pivot Point will continue to represent the best of our industry – providing cutting-edge content, tools, and technology that empower schools, instructors, students, salons and beauty professionals to enjoy their greatest success.” – Robert Passage, Pivot Point International
Paul Mitchell Schools across the country implemented CourseKey’s integration with Pivot Point to eliminate LAB grade entry, resulting in:
Beauty and wellness schools across the country prepare students to help their communities look and feel their best, but sometimes the reality of managing a school is not so pretty.
Many schools, including a large number of Paul Michell The School franchise locations, use Pivot Point and FAME to manage operations. Students complete their theory courses in Pivot Point, and staff use FAME as the source of truth for all student information—including theory grades.
Unfortunately, these two systems don’t talk to each other, so instructors, advisors, and other staff members at beauty and wellness schools spend hours per week pulling Pivot Point LAB grades for every student, then manually entering them into FAME.
Historically, manual data entry was simply the only way to get LAB grades into FAME. But not anymore.
The SIS is the source of truth for SAP, audits, and all student information. Ultimately Pivot Point LAB grades must get into FAME somehow, so schools are stuck doing it by hand.
Schools tackled this challenge differently. In some schools, front desk employees entered grades 2-3 times a week, taking 1-1.5 hours each time. In other schools, Theory Instructors enter grades weekly or monthly, depending on where the students are in their program.
Unfortunately, manual data often leads to errors and delays in SAP. Cosmetology programs must report students every 450 hours. If that data entry is delayed and the student appears to be behind—even if they aren’t actually behind—they could fail SAP and lose their financial aid.
Regardless of who enters grades or how often, entering grades from Pivot Point to FAME takes hours of staff time that could be better spent elsewhere.
Emma Long, Regional Education Director of Paul Mitchell The School – Rexburg and four other campuses, estimates it takes approximately 10 hours of staff time per month just to type in grades, costing $2-4k in labor annually.
“It’s very labor-intensive and time-consuming, therefore, it costs me a lot of money,” said Emma.
CourseKey integrates with Pivot Point to automatically transfer LAB grades into CourseKey for an easy upload into FAME.
According to Emma Long, what used to be an hours-long process now takes approximately 10 minutes total—regardless of how many students you have.
“Across all five of our locations, we estimated that worksheets and theory data entry cost each location about $40,000 a year,” said Emma. “All that could be streamlined through the CourseKey Skills Tracker and the CourseKey and Pivot Point integration.”
Because the transfer process is so much smoother, schools have faster insight into student pace and progress.
“We have the LAB grades quickly, and we can be sure the data is accurate. It’s amazing,” said Ron Billings, Operations Leader of Paul Mitchell The School – Colorado Springs. “We don’t have the lines of people saying ‘why did I fail my SAP?’ It allows us to catch any potential issues with SAP and intervene before a student loses their aid. Plus, we’re confident that a student who is meeting SAP won’t lose their aid due to a data delay.”
“We implemented the CourseKey and Pivot Point integration to better utilize staff on higher-value tasks versus manually entering grades,” said Erin Cowan, Executive Director of Paul Mitchell The School – Chicago Lombard.
When staff doesn’t have to worry about grades entry, they can focus on creating a better educational experience for their students. Instructors have more one-on-one time coaching students who need extra support—which is a win-win for everyone.
“Our staff is thrilled that they no longer have to enter theory hours,” said Elena Hernández, Future Processional Advisor at Paul Mitchell The School – San Diego. “They didn’t go into this profession because they love paperwork. They got into it because they love this industry and passing their knowledge onto the next generation of beauty and wellness professionals.”
With the Pivot Point integration and CourseKey’s suite of beauty and wellness tools, students gain a near-real-time view of their progress, including theory and practical.
Students no longer have to ask instructors or advisors for updates on their progress. Instead, they simply pull out their phones and check the CourseKey app, giving them a heightened sense of accountability over their education. Students can make informed decisions that support their progress toward graduation.
“The Future Professionals [students] can see everything in one place with CourseKey. For us, it’s a one-stop shop,” said Emma. “Previously, Future Professionals had to wait for progress updates or check in with staff. Now, the responsibility is on the student to make up missed time or activities—which prepares them for the real world. If they have to cancel an appointment with a client, it’s on them to make it up.”
Request a demo to begin saving your staff hours per week with the CourseKey and Pivot Point integration.
October 19, 2022 | CourseKey
A new concept in education, Byrd Mena founded the Rise of Hair (@riseofhair / riseofhair.com) event to join the barber and hairdressing communities and combine art, fashion, and hair in one dynamic show.
Sponsored by Wahl (@wahlpro), Booksy (@booksybiz), and Pivot Point (@pivotpointintl), the event provided the new generation of hairstylists and barbers an elevated experience that excited the senses as a mash-up of fashion, photography, social media, networking and trend releases.
Hosted by Byrd (@byrdmena) and Matt Riccio (@mattyriccs), 300 attendees immersed themselves in a 2-day long experience where boundaries ceased to exist, artistic interpretation was endless, and inspiration was found as each artist shared their talent.
Photo courtesy of @genobrancatihair
The Pivot Point booth – with our wide range of mannequins – quickly became a central location for the creation of content including TikTok and Instagram stories.
We were delighted to be part of such an amazing event, and look forward to working closely with Byrd and his team on future activities.
Photo courtesy of @babyhairbeautiful
August 2022: Pivot Point Mexico celebrated the 5th Simposio Internacional de Belleza in Xcaret Mexico.
Simposio brought together over 700 hairdressers and educators from 12 countries across Latin America for several days of inspiration, education and connection – all presented in a beautiful resort environment.
Pivot Point’s International Artistic Team, including members from the US, Europe and Latin America, developed and led the workshops.
Check out our short video to experience this exceptional event!
Intercoiffure America Canada and Pivot Point recently held an international contest for young talent still in beauty school. The focus was based around the students’ passion for texture and why texture is important.
“Pivot Point is honored to partner with Intercoiffure America Canada on the Intercoiffure Nouveau Student competition,” says Robert Passage, chairman and CEO of Pivot Point International. “We are a third-generation, family business owned and run by licensed beauty professionals, and, as educators working with beauty school students and their instructors every day, we recognize their tremendous talent. This competition is critically important in sharing that passion and creativity with Intercoiffure salons and the larger beauty industry as a whole.”
“We are especially proud that the theme is texture, reflecting the diversity of both our industry and our customers,” Passage says. “The outstanding Intercoiffure Nouveau Student entries showcase how, as beauty professionals, we can provide our customers with a valuable service and help bring people and communities together. Thank you, Intercoiffure!”
For the first round of the competition, students uploaded a short video where they shared why texture is important. Six finalists were selected, each of which was sent Pivot Point’s elite showcase mannequin “Michelle” who has extremely wavy hair. They were challenged to use any cut, color or style to accentuate the beauty of her natural texture.
Finalists include:
The winning student was Shauna McCorkle from the Tennessee School of Beauty, whose instructor is Ellysse J. Clarke. McCorkle and her instructor were flown to New York City to be honored on stage at the Intercoiffure America Canada Fall Atelier. Each of the finalist’s entries were honored on screen at the Intercoiffure America Canada Fall Atelier in New York City and will be featured on their website at www.icastudentcontest.com/
About Intercoiffure America Canada: Intercoiffure America Canada (ICA), is a prestigious association that welcomes talented, successful salon owners of high moral and ethical character to share friendship, knowledge, and creativity. It’s one of forty sections within the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial. Hairdressers from America and Canada are united through ICA, upholding fairness, equality, professionalism, and change for the better. Members of this organization strive to be the best they can be as salon owners, community leaders, influencers, and human beings that share the common connection of beautifying the world around them. For additional information, visit Intercoiffure.com.
About Pivot Point International: Pivot Point International, the driving force behind digital learning and development for hair and beauty education, has been pushing the industry forward for nearly 60 years. Focusing on unrivaled customer engagement and global impact, PIVOT POINT FOR ALL, has always been the vision. Founded by Leo Passage in 1962, three generations of leadership have committed to doing what’s right, making a difference and never compromising integrity, ethics or trust. Pivot Point proudly exhibits corporate responsibility through its ethical manufacturing and social accountability standards established in the production of its premium mannequins and educational tools. The company’s mission to challenge the status quo and fearlessly aim higher has inspired millions of learners, educators and professionals, worldwide. Pivot Point’s learner-focused curriculum and educational tools can be found on six continents.
October 6, 2022 | Modern Salon
For our ongoing commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values and leadership, Pivot Point was recently honored with a 2022 Family Business Award from Loyola University, Chicago.
While we strive to live these values every day, we thank you all for embarking on the journey with us and helping to stay on track. We are beyond proud of our people-focused culture and honored to be recognized.
Sugarlash PRO and Pivot Point announced a new partnership today marking a monumental move in the eyelash industry. Pivot Point is a global-leading educational resource dedicated to offering progressive education to licensed academies around the world. Leading the way in delivering education in new ways, the partnership seemed like a no-brainer for Sugarlash CEO, Courtney Buhler.
“It’s always been the mission of Sugarlash PRO to get lash education into more bonafide long-standing academy curriculums. It always seemed like a missed opportunity to me when estheticians and cosmetologists would need to seek out a lash course after their original education. Integrating a lash curriculum into the initial education of artists just makes sense to me.” Buhler says.
With the lash industry demand rising to all-time highs, with no sign of slowing down it’s now being accepted that lash services aren’t a trend or a niche and are here to stay. “Sugarlash PRO’s mission and vision is to progress the lash industry forward and develop it into the concrete industry that we already know it has become.” Says Buhler.
This past year according to a North American consumer report, more women are now receiving lash services than other services like waxing, nails, and facials. Likely due to the fact that the eyes are one thing that every single person you meet will look at. Defining and framing that ultimate feature is imperative to a woman’s confidence. Sugarlash PRO, of course, takes lash artistry one step further with the only styling-specific course in the market to solely focus on facial balancing and trend-setting effects (LashSTYLE).
Pivot Point has also committed to distributing Sugarlash kits, manuals, marketing supplies and more to support the partnership. A “Train the Trainer” program is available for academies wishing to become an Official Partner Academy — with everything needed to make their hands-on practical days a success.
“At the end of the day — this is a huge step forward for the lash industry and for Sugarlash PRO. Knowing how insanely successful lash services are, and knowing we have the globally leading education and can now get it into licensed schools means the world to me.” Buhler says. “This partnership with Pivot Point is a huge moment for us all and I’m honored that Pivot Point saw how huge of an opportunity lashes truly are.”
For academy inquiries please email academypartners@sugarlashpro.com
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