Modern Salon Media has released the 2013 Excellence in Education honorees, which recognizes leadership and best practices among cosmetology schools. Schools were recognized for their accomplishments in eight categories. Click here to see the honorees.

Photos from AACS Annual Convention & Expo
The AACS Annual Convention & Expo, which took place November 15-18 in Las Vegas, was an unforgettable experience for attendees this year. The GRC hosted a concert with America’s Got Talent winner Michael Grimm, top-industry speakers from across the country came to educate school owners, management and admissions staff and a packed Expo Hall with nearly 100 vendors showcased their newest products. Check out the photo gallery.

The Career Educators Alliance (CEA) will be holding two-day workshops in five different cities throughout 2014:

1. Kansas City, MO (January 27-28)
2. Atlanta, GA (February 24-25)
3. Denver, CO (March 17-18)
4. Philadelphia, PA (April 14-15)
5. Chicago, IL (May 19-20)

These sessions will inspire you to be the best teacher you can be, while offering tips on engaging students, teaching to a new generation and overcoming obstacles with your staff and students. The cost to attend is $149/person. For more information on these CEA Regional Events, click here.

Mark your calendars for the next AACS event, which will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, May 2–5, 2014. The Spring Operations Conference will include educational sessions for school owners, directors, compliance, financial aid and admissions staff. To learn more about upcoming AACS events, visit www.beautyschools.org. 

Round 3 for the Vidal Sassoon Scholarship Competition launches January 28, 2014. Marketing materials have been designed and you can use them to promote this scholarship to your prospects. Ten people will win 50 percent of their cosmetology tuition (there have already been 20 winners!). We also want to encourage you to view the most recent winning entries. They will make great inspiration to those who apply.

As newspaper staffs get smaller, the need for content from outside sources grows. Contact your weekly newspaper’s managing editor (contact info is usually on the website) and offer to contribute a local column focused on beauty and wellness. The Lafayette, Ind., campus of Tricoci University of Beauty Culture contacted their local paper and scored a weekly beauty column on page 2.

If a company is led by a man, it is 40 percent more likely to receive funding compared to those led by a woman. Women hold less than 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEO positions and less than 20 percent of the seats in Congress. The reasons for these stats vary, but experts believe confidence accounts for a huge reason why men in the workplace seem to have a one-up on women. If you’re a woman in the workplace vying for a top position—check out these tips to evoke more personal confidence.