Beauty Changes Lives and Lauren Conway

BMB Podcast 

Beauty Changes Lives and Lauren Conway 

Lauren Conway is the Executive Director of Beauty Changes Lives (“BCL”), a nonprofit that brings over $1M dollars in scholarships to beauty professionals annually. 

Recently, BCL launched the “Make Your Mark” campaign. Which aims to transform perceptions about careers in beauty & raise awareness of career opportunities and possibilities to licensed professionals.  

BCL is a non-profit that made one of the earliest changes to provide support to those impacted by COVID-19. They reallocated some of their funds, specifically the Horst Rachelbacher Foundation funds into COVID-19 grants. Which started a program offering $1,000 relief grants to beauty pros. To date, BCL has provided over $195K to their COVID – 19 Relief fund for beauty and barber professionals. 

The Beauty Changes Lives mission is a mission that carries true weight, a mission to make the beauty profession a first-choice career. 

Beauty Changes Lives has raised $6M and awarded $3.1M in scholarships. To date they’ve awarded close to 600 scholarships. They do more than award scholars, they provide them with a community, mentorship, and tools to be successful in the industry. 

In this episode of BMB Radio, Lauren takes us into the massive successes BCL has had on the beauty community. She talks about her career journey following her passion into cosmetology after she graduated university. She has a wealth of experience in the industry having been behind the chair, with Pivot Point International and now the Executive Director of a thought leader in non-profits for the beauty industry. 

Lauren talks about the many paths in beauty beyond doing hair and nails and etc. She challenges people to think beyond working behind the chair. And she’s made it a part of her careers’ mission to help others realize the extent of opportunities they have. 

Beauty Changes Lives boasts significant statistics with 95% of their scholarship recipients having graduated, 90% are licensed pros and30% are business owners of their own. Which far surpasses the national requirements. Alluding to the idea that their support system may be a key ingredient to why students succeed through their program.  

Donate to www.beautychangeslives.org    

Takeaways 

After COVID-19, non-profits like BCL are going to need donations more than ever to support the growth of the industry. 
BCL is one of the earliest changes to provide support to those impacted by COVID-19. They reallocated some of their funds, specifically the Horst Rachelbacher Foundation funds into COVID-19 grants. Which started a program offering $1,000 relief grants to beauty pros. 
Beauty Changes Lives boasts significant statistics with 95% of their scholarship recipients having graduated, 90% are licensed pros and30% are business owners of their own. 

Handsome App is a free professional network for the beauty and barber industries to build a digital portfolio, find career advice, education and jobs.