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Sid Munger

A SCAM or a Beauty School?

In Lincoln Nebraska, why does a 2-year, community college associate’s degree cost only $14,000 and a 1-year cosmetology degree cost $20,000?

And to make things worse, the average hourly wage earned by a new hair stylist is $9.00, but an entry level associate’s degree earns $12.00 per hour. Does this seem logical or practical to you?

According to a 2018 New York Times article, thirteen years after graduating, some students still owe more than $8,000. And Beauty Schools have deterred attempts to create cheaper alternatives.

Some states require 1000 hours of education for a cosmetology degree, but Nebraska is nearly double that, at 1800. It can take less than one tenth the time and money to become an emergency medical technician. The more hours students are mandated to be in school, the more debt they must incur.

Schools don’t have to pay students for the services they provide; in fact, the students pay tuition for the hours they work in the salons.  The classes can be boring and repetitive. Some instructors are students themselves or have little to no experience in the field.

“I would say probably 60 percent of my first year was sitting around waiting for an appointment,” one recent graduate said. “I thought I would make enough money to live, but I couldn’t pay my student loan and had to get another job.”

In 2018 Nebraska legislators, after a long battle with the schools, reduced the requirement to 1,800 hours. The problem is, most of new graduates will struggle for years before they are able to comfortably live and pay off the student debt, if they can at all.

“I thought I would make enough money to live, but I couldn’t pay my student loan and had to get another job”

With booth-rental salons up over 75 percent, it is hard for students straight out of school to find a place to continue to learn, let alone the ability to pay rent. “I learned more in the first month, in the salon, than I did in the entire year of beauty school, but it took time to build my clients,” said a local stylist.

“The problem is the schools in Nebraska are teaching their students to work at a commission salon to build a clientele, then take that clientele and booth rent at another salon,” said a local salon owner.  “We spend time and money training and building our new stylists a clientele, then they take those clients with them and we have to start all over. It’s just bad business education.”

There is a solution. In 2018 the state of Nebraska approved the licensing of apprentice salons. The apprentice salon can give potential stylists the education and hourly requirements to get their license to practice cosmetology. There are no student loans required. This is an option for people that cannot afford a $20,000 tuition.

The great thing about the apprentice salon is, the stylist-in-training can earn a living while still learning their craft. Since this is such a new program there are very few if any apprentice salons out there. The apprentice gains hands-on experience in salon procedures under the watchful eye of a professional. This means the apprentice is literally learning his or her trade on the job.

Most of the time, the apprentice will have a full-time job in the salon after the apprenticeship is completed and they have earned their license. This gives a substantial advantage over a student who only has experience in beauty school.

We hope in 2021, the state of Nebraska approves more and more of these apprentice salon licenses to help alleviate some of the burden of student debt. More people choosing an apprenticeship means that they can work and be paid for their time while also learning their craft.

The Salon With a Conscious

The Salon With a Conscious

Sid Munger | 1/22/2019

For all those who enter Lincoln, Nebraska’s, Modafino Salon, a new hair salon at 5600 South 59th, the experience is as much about how they observe nature as how they feel when they leave. Tommy O, owner of Modafino Salon says, “The name of the salon actually means High Fashion. I didn’t want to use the French ‘Haute Couture’ like they do on the runways. I wanted it to be unique, so I used a combination of Italian and Latin to form the word Modafino.”

Tommy has been in the hair business for over 25 years, working in salons, runways, movie sets and doing platform education from Beverly Hills to Miami to New York City. Modafino salon was officially opened on June 5th of 2018, but just started full operations on January 1st, 2019. The salon offers all hair services for men and women including hair cutting & styling, hair coloring, perming & relaxing and hair extensions.  

What sets Modafino salon apart from other salons in the area, is Modafino’s concern for the environment, Tommy says, “We are part of the new wave of sustainable salons.” He adds, “We try to recycle 100 percent of all of our salon waste, and we are the only salon in the area that offers organic hair coloring services.”

Glass, paper and metal recycling is not a new concept however, Tommy says his salon was built from re-purposed and recycled materials. “I always try and use environmentally friendly materials, from gloves to bottles, the disposable items are up-cycled into energy when possible.” And he says, “Most people don’t know that even shorn hair can be used. It can be placed into pantyhose and used to absorb oil spills.”

Tommy says that since construction was complete last June, he has continued to find the most environmentally friendly and/or re-purposed equipment and materials, including the hair stations and dryers. “We use Eco-heads on the sinks,” he says. “They use 65 percent less water than standard ones.” Tommy says the heads also help provide comfort for the person in the chair, with minimal splash.

The salon is teamed up with Modafino hair-care products and Seven hair-care products another independent and environmentally friendly hair-care company out of Seattle.  According to Tommy, both Modafino and Seven use organic materials in all their products. “We don’t use any petrochemicals in our products,” he says. “They build up and make hair feel heavy.” Tommy says the company works in conjunction with Seven products. “It’s more of a partnership,” he says. “I wanted to build a company that has a conscience and a mission and so does Seven.”

Teresa Chaffin, a hair color manufacturer representative in Lincoln and Omaha, says more environmentally conscious salons are needed in the area. “Lincoln is long overdue for businesses with this kind of practice,” she says. “It clearly sets them (Modafino Salon) apart from their competition.” Chaffin says, that she has been going to Modafino since before they were officially open, and besides getting a great service for her entire family, she knows Tommy is trying to do all he can to help sustain the environment. “It makes it that much easier to come to my brother’s salon when I know he is on the right track,” she says.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment visit modafinosalon.com.

  • What: Modafino Salon.
  • Where: 5600 South 59th | Suite 105 | Lincoln NE 68516
  • Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday & Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday &  Thursday; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Offers: Student discounts, Referral Program and many more benefits and rewards.
  • For information: Visit modafinosalon.com or call 531.500.4880.

Modafino to ‘Re-invent’ Beauty Product Retail with Launch of the MODA-CAP

Sid Munger | September 24, 2018

Modafino to ‘Re-invent’ Beauty Product Retail with Launch of the MODA-CAP

Sid Munger | September 22, 2018

On September 25th, innovative hair care startup Modafino will raise the curtain on its patent-pending device, the MODA-CAP. Modafino’s disruptive and innovative new product invention was designed to tackle several of the most critical issues hampering the beauty product retail industry, and, will be released on Kickstarter, according to a press release.

The move comes just two years after Modafino’s founding and two weeks after the MODA-CAP moved into “production-ready” status. Modafino professedly marks the device’s intention to initiate its mission to create beauty product fragrance customization, maximize retail store margin and minimize retail store footprint, online by spring 2019 and in retail stores by Christmas 2019.

The new product, detailed below, has been designed to offer retailers the ability to give point-of-sale fragrance customization to any beauty retail product when they respectively launch, online at modafino.com in spring of 2019 and in retail stores by Christmas 2019.

Kickstarter Launch – Beginning on September 25th customers will have the opportunity to pre-purchase from the Kickstarter platform, www.Kickstarter.com.  The issues of anticipation and production timelines have traditionally stood as significant hurdles for startups on Kickstarter To solve this, Modafino has the unique ability to put their existing products in the hands of their Kickstarter supporters, immediately.

Online Launch – As the online beauty product retail industry moves beyond its storefront competitors, customers will demand faster delivery of their online products. To accommodate this push, Modafino will utilize next-day delivery options, standard 2-day delivery systems as well as the Amazon marketplace. Modafino will deliver all pre-orders of the signature MODA-CAP products as a priority to its Kickstarter supporters as soon as they come off the manufacturing line, prior to offering the products to the general public.

Retail Store Launch – Few may call for a smaller in-store footprint than the storefront retail sector, which has been stung, perhaps infamously, with a recent epidemic of box-store bankruptcies. Modafino will stand as the first product in history to give customers the ability to customize their fragrance when they buy it. Modafino has targeted as potential retail store partners stores such as, Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Target stores and more in the United States. Modafino will be releasing retail store partners in the late summer of 2019.

As the MODA-CAP bottle technology spreads its reach, all beauty product companies will take notice. Will Modafino license this technology? Only time will tell, however, for now the MODA-CAP is innovative, disruptive, smart and cutting-edge. Consumers will love the ease of use and the benefits of customizing a product’s fragrance to suit their individual lifestyle.

To Modafino’s founder and CEO Tommy O, the MODA-CAP is a device designed to turbocharge the growth and adoption of what remains an “early stage” technology. Tommy states:

“Given the fragrance-infusion technology is still in its early stages, there is still a lot of potential for customers and retailers to transform the retail industry with the MODA-CAP. Our vision for Modafino is to solve the biggest barriers in beauty product retail and the adoption of customers to our innovative fragrance infusion technology.”

GO TO KICKSTARTER

Launch Party!!!

Lincoln, NE 5/31/18 – Local hair care startup company Modafino has partnered with nonprofit United Luv to donate 30 iPads to oncology units at Bryan Hospital in Lincoln in conjunction with the launch of the online store Modafino.com.

United Luv Project, a nonprofit out of Helena, Montana was created in memory of Ryan Eaton by his brother, Dallas Eaton.  The two brothers originally began United Luv as a T-shirt company, but quickly changed focus when Ryan was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, at age 25.

During his battle with cancer, Ryan wanted to give back to others. Having spent a great deal of time in hospitals and cancer treatment centers, Ryan quickly learned that there were limited options to pass the time while undergoing treatments. He also realized how many people had to fight the battle alone. He wanted to help those individuals to connect with friends and family and saw the iPad as the perfect tool.

Dallas, along with his parents Sheldon and Vicki, decided to use 100% of the proceeds from the United Luv t-shirt sales to purchase iPads and donate them to patients and hospitals throughout the country.  Their donations have included the St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver, the Ronald McDonald House, and many others.

Modafino is a luxury hair care brand lead by master stylist Tommy Ortiz, a Lincoln native, who holds years of experience in the salon industry, creating his own line of all-natural, organic products which provide exceptional results and have a minimal impact on the environment.

The Modafino brand prides itself on being made with organic, all-natural ingredients that have been formulated to nourish, strengthen, and enhance hair health. The facility that manufactures Modafino’s products is run on 100% renewable energy and all bottles are made from 100% recycled material.  There are no toxic ingredients, harmful colors, harmful fragrances, and there is never any animal testing done with any ingredients in the Modafino products.

Modafino and United Luv are proud to come together to donate 30 iPads to Bryan Health Oncology units so that patients and families can connect with their loved ones they may be separated from, as well as pass the time during treatments and various medical procedures.  Both companies are excited to build and maintain an impactful relationship with the Lincoln community.

# # #

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2018 @ 11:30 A.M

Media is encouraged to join Modafino and United Luv at Bryan Hospital Healing Gardens, 2300 S. 16th St.  at 11:30am Friday, June 1, 2018 as Modafino and United Luv present the iPad’s to the nurse managers of the Bryan Hospital oncology units.

Tori Haussler
CMO Modafino

Tommy O | CEO Modafino

"We are so excited to work with United Luv. This charity is very personal to me. I have had close family members, fall victim to cancer. I think what United Luv does, makes an immediate impact in the lives of those fighting a terrible disease."

David W | VP-COO Modafino

"We wanted to build a relationship with a charity that we could really get behind 110%, and truly make a difference in the community. We chose United Luv because what they are doing is above and beyond, directly impacting the lives of cancer patients."

Modafino Launch Event | Participants

Everyone that comes to our event is encouraged to give their personal experience in the fight against cancer and how this event affected them. Comments will be posted below...

The Hairdresser – Client Privilege

The Hairdresser – Client Privilege

by Sid Munger

Today’s headlines are filled with references to the attorney-client privilege. Do you have that same relationship with your hairdresser?  The sounding board that exists in most salon chairs is likened to a modern-day surrogate for the confessional or the therapist’s couch. Let’s face it, the emotional connection cultivated during every salon visit, sometimes makes the hairdresser-client relationship even more intimate.

With the social media environment of today, there is a certain desire and necessity for privacy in, at least some, of our public conversations. “Some of the most successful hairdressers I know are not the most technically talented,” says Tommy O of Modafino Salon. “Developing a relationship is all about communication and if you don’t talk, and build relationships, you won’t succeed. You really have to keep negativity out of all conversations. A wise man, my Dad, once told me, ‘Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things and small people talk about other people.’ To me, it’s like visiting Las Vegas, what’s said in my chair, stays in my chair.”

There is an artform to being a shrewd hairdresser. Some clients relish the silence. They prefer to seize the opportunity not to talk. They don’t want to give detailed life updates and prefer to relax. For them, letting the hairdresser focus on their hair is pinnacle.  “The adage of never talk about politics, sex or religion does not always apply in the salon chair. In fact, it might be the only place where clients feel like they can talk about those things. I just try to be conscious of who might be in audible distance.”

At Modafino salon, stylists use the consultation to begin and define the clients needs. “I try to get to know my clients and, bring it back around to the hair and makeup, so when we actually start the service, meaningful conversations transpire,” says Tommy O. “I consider my clients, friends. There is no better job than making your friends excited and happy about how they look and who they are. “

At Modafino Salon, you have a sounding-board in your hairdresser.  Building and maintaining an emotional connection is so important. There are some things that you never want to compromise, because the consequences can be life changing:  Your Lawyer; Your Plastic Surgeon;  Your Tattoo Artist; and finally, Your Hairdresser.

Photos by Kathy Rae Photography

What About Bobs?

What about Bobs?

Spring 2018 Cuts

Sid Munger April 20th, 2018

This Spring’s fashion trends are fancy jeans, ‘90’s retro, and the All-American, natural look. “I always like to look at American Fashion Designers like Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Betsey Johnson, to get an idea of fashion themes for the upcoming season,” says Tommy O, artistic director and visionary for Modafino. “I like to design a room around a painting. For me, it’s the same with hair. I design hair color and cutting collections around the current fashion designs. The general trends, that I see this Spring, are American-made, monochromatic and sheer. I used that same theme for the Modafino cut and color, Spring collection.”

A new season always inspires fresh starts and new beginnings. As New Year’s resolutions fade, people invite their ‘true’ selves back to the party; for most women, hair is no exception. According to the runways at this years New York Fashion Week, Modafino Stylists, and our favorite celebrities, there are some stunning new hair trends on the horizon. Modafino has created Spring haircuts and colors for all lengths and textures. The anticipation of what we will see in 2018 is over. It’s going to be all about embracing the organic and the natural. It’s no-fuss textures with fresh, interesting haircuts. It’s going to be the year of brazenly un-done and effortless style. Low maintenance short and long cuts, easy bangs, and sheer textures are what it’s all about; un-laxed styles and middle parts are making an appearance, as well. No matter which length of haircut fits your style, it’s destined to be low maintenance. “Being natural, IS being organic,” Says Tommy O. “Being organic, to me, is not just trying to be healthy and environmentally conscious. It’s being true to yourself in all you do. Organic is not just a word, it’s a lifestyle.”

Modafino invites YOU to celebrate your natural beauty. They are making this upcoming Spring even more exciting with this year’s collection. The first look in the collection is the aptly named, “Organic Bob.” We’re talking a minimalist style that lets you wash and go. It stays away from tons of layers, and it works great for fine hair. If you are more adventurous you can bring it up to chin-length, but we also love the shoulder-grazing length. For a neo-fashionista spin, go with a middle part; but a classic side part makes it look natural and simply done

Modafino invites YOU to celebrate your natural beauty. They are making this upcoming Spring and Summer even more exciting with this year’s collection. The first look in the collection is the aptly named, “Organic Bob.” We’re talking a minimalist style that lets you wash and go. It stays away from tons of layers, and it works great for fine hair. If you are more adventurous you can bring it up to chin-length, but we just love the shoulder-grazing length. For a neo-fashionista spin, go with a middle part; but a classic side part makes it look natural and simply done.

The Edgeless Shag focuses on sheer texture and, unlike the classic (Sassoon) shag, is weighted a little farther down, near the chin. With or without bangs, it’s all about getting that mid-shaft volume. The Edgeless Shag is perfect for the bob-lovers that want to update a tired look.
This Spring, put on your jeans, be All-American and get back to nature. It is all about being true to yourself, effortlessly. Stay tuned, Modafino and Tommy O will be releasing more cuts, colors, and festival looks in the upcoming weeks.

Photo by Gary Brown

Photo by Gary Brown