AACS Visits the White House
Guess who was invited a meeting at The White House yesterday? A couple of AACS Board Members, along with our GRC Chair. What an honor! Check out a few pics and a short video update from Greg Jones, GRC Chair. This is just a teaser, as they’ll give a full report next week! Isn’t it great to know that AACS is on your side?

Board Meeting Outlines Association Mission and Goal
The AACS Board of Directors met for the annual summer board meeting in Philadelphia last week. The board concluded that AACS’ mission is to advance educational excellence. Goals over the next few years for the association were also outlined. AACS will be:

A. an indispensable resource for training, business services, and networking for members

B. the leading advocate that improves education excellence in the hair, beauty, and wellness professions

C. the source of credible information and understanding for stakeholders and the public concerning the hair, beauty and wellness professions

D. financially secure and stable to fulfill its mission and goals

Each of these goals come with a variety of strategies that the board is currently evaluating, while finding capable volunteers and staff members to accomplish these goals. To learn more, we encourage you to attend the AACS Board Meeting on Friday, Nov. 14 from 1pm – 2pm in Phoenix, AZ as well as the Membership Meeting on Sunday, Nov. 16 from 1 pm – 1:30 pm. These meetings are a great opportunity for you to learn what AACS is doing for you and take place in conjunction with the AACS Annual Convention & Expo.

Roaring '20s Party, Staff Training and a Celebration of 90 Years
AACS will be celebrating 90 years as an association at this year’s AACS Annual Convention & Expo and we want you to be part of the celebration! Attendee registration includes a ticket the GRC Roaring ’20s Party, a variety of educational sessions to choose from, networking receptions and specialized workshops for owners and admissions staff. The event also includes two-day training for educators. Although the final schedule isn’t out, the "shell" of the schedule is so that you can make your travel plans accordingly. Click here for more information about the event and watch a video message from AACS President Don Yearwood.

Marketing Material for Schools
Beauty Changes Lives has four scholarship competitions open and three of them are for new/prospective students attending AACS schools. BCL has even created marketing material to assist your admissions team when trying to get the word out! They’ve created flyers, sample Facebook posts and tweets, past winning entries for inspiration and more. Click here to access these marketing materials.

Viral "Ice Bucket Challenge" Lends Great Marketing Tactics
Want to set the viral marketing world on fire? Look no further than the "ice bucket challenge" which has generated more than 600,000 new donors and more than $31 million in donations to the ALS Association. The challenge has garnered the support of personalities ranging from Oprah to Bill Gates. Check out four marketing lessons courtesy of the ice bucket challenge.

The Art of the Consult
While it’s important to understand what type of service and style a client desires during a salon visit, a beauty professional can add value through effective communication techniques during the consultation process. Beauty and wellness instructors can coach students to make the most of the consultation process. Read this article by Jay Williams in the latest edition of BeautyLink magazine.