LA LUMA SALON & ACADEMY - Key Persons
Founder and Owner, Andrew McAleese, spent 23 years in the salon industry, working as a stylist, salon owner, and educator for manufacturers and distributors. In his experience, Andrew noticed that the technical foundation and personal development required to launch a stylist's career had a lot of gaps.
In 2003, Andrew met Don Bewley, the founder of Eufora, who became Andrew's mentor. Don was seeking people who were really passionate about the hair industry, who wanted to take it back from the big companies, and who wanted to raise the quality of the experience and products available. Andrew and Don saw something in each other, something they really wanted to get behind, and grow together.
Andrew was mentored and trained, and then in 2004, he went on the road for 7 years educating salon owners, stylists, and consultants in distribution, marketing, and technical support. He also launched the Eufora brand in a variety of different markets in the US and Canada, and really saw the full picture of the industry from creating products and cutting systems, to best practices in working with guests on the salon floor.
Andrew learned so much about what was possible in the industry that he became passionate about sharing this with new stylists. He knew that he could empower people coming into the industry, so they could play a bigger game. He wanted to provide more opportunities for hairstylists to take ownership of their careers.
In 2009, Andrew bought a century-old brick building on one of the oldest streets in downtown Guelph. In 2010, he started the first class of La Luma Academy, so he could share his knowledge and skills in a unique way with new students. He integrated all the experiences he had on the road and, as a Master Stylist, into the La Luma curriculum. In the last 9 years he has recruited and trained the awesome Education and Management team that we have here today.
With his years of experience in the salon industry, Andrew understands the needs and challenges of the contemporary stylist and salon owner. He has coached, taught and mentored across North America as part of Eufora International's Global Business Team. In his roles as salon owner, stylist and educator, he has prepared countless young stylists for successful careers in the beauty industry. Andrew founded La Luma Academy to give students a resilient start on their life journey so they can build a wealthy future. Andrew is a true visionary. He sees the big picture and is brilliant at creating and mobilizing a team to put that vision into action.
Christy Munro, the Academy Director, best summarizes La Luma Salon's perspective which is established on Collaboration, Resilience and Leadership: one for all, and all for one. This approach means that Christy is not only a superb educator, she is a learner, promoting student-educator interaction and modeling self-management and leadership skills.
Christy is La Luma's compassionate "den mother", teacher, and coach who guides and shapes students and new hires, holding them accountable for their decisions as they transition to adulthood. This extends to looking outside of the bubble of the Academy and Salon to realising the consequences of decisions and actions in the greater community. She maintains an open-door policy, available to help with not only education, but with career advice, or a simple pep talk.
Her role as Director of Education and Leadership at La Luma Salon and Academy is not an easy one. It is a job that requires an extreme commitment and dedication to all students and staff. Seeing what is possible for all of those who come through La Luma is what keeps her motivated and dedicated. "I am always blown away by the transformations our students' experience throughout their year at La Luma, and this gives me pure joy and satisfaction."
Christy began working at La Luma Salon and Academy in 2011. What she loves most about her role at La Luma is the commitment to people and to education. As a Master Stylist at La Luma Salon, Christy believes hair is the best accessory; the one accessory we always have with us. With this in mind, she wants to create styles for her guests that work for them every day. She loves structured and detailed haircuts, ie. short trend, men's barbering, bobs, texture, etc, and ultimately wants to create a look for her guests that keeps working for them until their next visit.
Throughout her life, Christy has always sought out leadership opportunities. Whether it was coaching hockey and soccer teams, being on student council, working at a summer camp, leading Staff Training, and the Leader in Training program at the same camp, volunteering in elementary school classrooms, Head Coaching in a self development course, volunteering with the Career Education Council, and creating leadership workshops for our local high schools. She has always wanted to lead and transfer this knowledge to other people. She loves mixing play and fun with accountability and ruthless compassion.
" In my opinion, we are doing people a disservice everyday in education by never focusing and teaching the skills that we need to generate a successful career in any industry. We teach people technical skills and theory with the assumption that this alone will create success. What I am passionate about is leading people to discover that who they show up as every day, will determine their level of success."