She moved tables. Four more followed.
- Jen Martinelli
- May 10
- 10 min read
"Sometimes you have to leave the table when love’s no longer being served.”
🖤 From Jen: Find a New Table.
Hi BEAUTISTA fam.
My daughter is 15 and applying for a sought-after club at her high school that only accepts a small number of students. The application process is intense—teacher recommendations, essays on leadership, bullying, charitable contributions, peer pressure… big topics for a teenager.
She asked me to review her essay this week, and as I read through her answers, I felt inspired because it brought me right back to a really hard season in middle school.
She had a group of friends that constantly made her feel bad about herself. You know that age… where fitting in feels like everything. She would come home upset, questioning herself, overthinking every interaction. And I kept giving her the same advice over and over again:
“They can't be the only people in 6th grade. Go where you are valued.”
At the time, it was about middle school lunch tables. But deep down, I knew it was bigger than that.
Because one day it becomes relationships. Friendships. Work environments. Business partnerships. Rooms you stay in too long trying to earn belonging instead of simply being valued.
I kept telling her to switch lunch tables. And she kept saying the same thing we all say when we know we need to leave something behind - “But what if…” it’s awkward. What if nobody comes with me. What if I make the wrong choice. But one day she got tired of feeling small. She picked up her things and moved tables. Two girls went with her. The next day, four more followed. And from that moment on… middle school felt lighter. As I read her essay this week, I realized that moment was so much bigger than a lunch table.
One of the questions on the application was about substance refusal and peer pressure. Her answer wasn’t really about substances at all—it was about confidence, self-worth, and having the courage to stand alone when something doesn’t feel right. She wrote:
“I learned that if you are confident in who you are and do not act embarrassed or pressured, most people respect your decision. My experiences taught me to go where you are valued - even if its against the grain. And if you do it confidently people acknowledge the type of person you are.”
She didn’t become a different person when she switched tables. The environment changed. And suddenly she felt lighter. More confident. More herself. Learning to walk away from spaces where you don’t feel valued teaches you something powerful. It teaches you to trust yourself. Not in a cocky way. Not in a judgmental way. In a self-worth way. Because the truth is… so many people stay too long. In friendships. Relationships. Jobs. Environments that slowly chip away at them because leaving feels uncomfortable. But think about how much life gets wasted feeling small.
There’s a reason my current book of the week, The Diary Of A CEO, talks so much about environments and proximity. The people around you shape how you see yourself. And when you constantly sit in spaces that make you question your worth, eventually you start believing those thoughts. The same person in a different environment can be valued completely differently. The same employee can make more money, feel more fulfilled, and perform better simply because they’re finally in a place that sees their worth.
Sometimes we spend years trying to prove ourselves at the wrong table… when the real answer is finding a table where we never had to question our worth to begin with.
Because sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply get up and move tables.
xoxo
-Jen Martinelli
🚀 The Shift: Weekly Mindset + Strategy Upgrade.
Find a New Table.
Sometimes we stay too long trying to prove ourselves at the wrong table.
The wrong friend group.
The wrong relationship.
The wrong job.
The wrong environment.
And slowly, without realizing it, we start shrinking to fit spaces that were never built for us.
This week, pay attention to how people make you feel.
Who makes you feel lighter?
Who drains you?
Where do you feel confident, safe, supported, and yourself?
Where do you constantly feel like you have to earn belonging?
Because sometimes the shift isn’t becoming someone new. Sometimes it’s finding a different table.
🎙️ In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
If you missed it this week… the message across BEAUTISTA classes was loud and clear:
👉 Healthy hair is the new luxury
👉 Texture services are still exploding
👉 And technical knowledge is becoming the difference between average and in-demand
Here’s what stood out:
Texture specialists are in demand
From Mizani Silk Press Mastery to Living Proof curl styling and Matrix curl color education… textured services continue to dominate. The pros who truly understand curls, hydration, porosity, and long-term hair health are building loyal clientele fast
Blonding is getting smarter
REDKEN, Matrix, and Blonde Solutions all doubled down on advanced blonding education this week. Today’s client wants blonde without sacrificing integrity—which means understanding formulation, toning, and hair health matters more than ever
Scalp health keeps getting bigger
Biolage’s scalp certifications and Bioelements menopausal skin training reinforce something important: beauty is becoming more wellness-driven. Clients want professionals who understand what’s happening beneath the surface—not just on top of it
Corrective color = premium pricing
PRAVANA and Malibu C focused heavily on corrective color this week. Why? Because fixing color confidently is one of the fastest ways to position yourself at a higher level behind the chair
Classic techniques are coming back
Bumble and bumble’s Roundbrush Set class proves foundational styling is having a moment again. Polished, long-lasting hair that feels luxury and editorial is trending hard right now
(And if you’re a salon owner or educator—send your team. One class can shift performance fast.)
💻 Tech-Forward:
Where tech meets beauty (and your next big move begins).
Phygital Natives & Why Most Career Pages Don’t Work
If you’ve been around BEAUTISTA for a while, you know we talk a lot about phygital natives. Phygital natives are people who blend physical and digital experiences together naturally. They discover online first, build trust digitally first, and then decide if they want the real-world experience.
Think about it… would you book a hotel without seeing photos first? Without reviews? Without understanding the vibe? Probably not.
So why do so many beauty businesses expect someone to apply for a job with nothing more than “Now Hiring ✨ Send Resume”?
Today’s professionals want to see the culture, the team, the environment, the growth opportunity, and what the salon actually feels like before they ever apply. And if the process feels too long or complicated? They leave.
Research shows 60% of job seekers abandon applications because of length or complexity. That’s exactly why traditional job boards have struggled for years. They were built for resumes—not phygital natives.
Here’s what actually works now:
Show the vibe visually — photos, videos, team energy, behind-the-scenes moments
Lead with opportunity, not tasks — people want to know how they’ll grow, not just responsibilities
Make applying frictionless — long forms create drop-off, mobile-friendly experiences convert
Tell a story — the salons winning right now are making people feel something before they ever interview
That’s why BEAUTISTA career pages are built differently. Recruiting today isn’t just about being seen. It’s about being felt.
Take a second and analyze your career page or hiring posts. Do they actually communicate your vibe? Do they make someone feel what it would be like to work with you? Or are you asking people to make a huge life decision based on a few bullet points and “Now Hiring”?
What we're learning from Hiring Funnels:
The most valuable part of the funnel is the part you never see.
One of our newest campaigns just wrapped its first week. In seven days, the ads reached over 2,700 local beauty professionals and generated a 5.46% click-through rate — nearly four times what most campaigns see at launch. Sixteen conversations started. Thirty hours of screening happened. The salon owner didn't field a single call.
That's the point. What looks like a hiring campaign on the surface is actually a filtering machine running in the background. Every conversation our team has — confirming a license, checking a commute, assessing availability, moving a candidate through their portfolio — is a conversation the salon owner never has to have. They don't see the volume. They don't manage the back-and-forth. They don't sort through who's serious and who clicked out of curiosity.
They just meet the people who are ready.
A campaign we wrapped this week reached nearly 9,000 local beauty professionals over eight weeks. Sixty conversations happened. Our team handled every one. Six qualified candidates landed in the owner's hands — pre-screened, portfolio-complete, ready to meet.
That ratio isn't a gap. That's the job. The funnel's entire purpose is to make the hard work disappear before it reaches you. The salon owner who's hiring shouldn't feel like they're recruiting. They should feel like someone already did it for them.
🔥 What’s Happening:
Virtual Live Events You Don’t Want to Miss
Next Live Virtual Classes
Next week’s classes are telling us exactly where the beauty industry is headed:
👉 Scalp services are becoming premium experiences
👉 Texture specialists are in demand
👉 Faster, high-impact services are becoming a major business strategy
👉 And healthy blonding is still dominating
Here’s what to watch:
Headspa is officially becoming a category
Biolage Headspa Certification — May 11, 12PM EST
Surface Awaken Scalp Retreat — May 11, 4PM EST
This isn’t just “washing hair” anymore. Clients are craving wellness experiences, scalp analysis, relaxation, and treatment-based services. Salons that lean into scalp health now are positioning themselves ahead of the curve.
Texture education continues to explode
Keratin Complex Texture Master Class — May 11, 10AM EST
BosleyMD Textured Cutting — May 11, 12PM EST
Mizani Texture Types & Care Regimens — May 13, 11AM EST
The industry keeps doubling down on texture because demand keeps growing. The pros who truly understand curls, coils, smoothing, hydration, and textured cutting are becoming the go-to specialists in their markets.
Healthy blonding is still the standard
REDKEN Lift & Tone Pro Connect — May 11, 11AM EST
Pulp Riot Renegade Blonde — May 11, 3PM EST
L'Oréal Blond Studio Essentials — May 12, 2PM EST
Today’s client wants bright blonde without sacrificing hair integrity—which means formulation knowledge and hair health matter more than ever.
Fast services = smart business
Living Proof Business Builder: Fast Services, Big Impact — May 13, 12PM EST
This one is important. The industry is shifting toward quicker, high-value services that increase loyalty and revenue without extending your day behind the chair
(And if you’re reading this as a salon owner or educator — send your team. One class can shift an entire culture.)
👀 Watch This Space
(Jobs Worth Seeing)
👀 Watch This Space
Boho Hair Salon | 📍Asbury Park, NJ
OPEN ROLES
There’s a difference between a salon that looks beautiful… and a salon that actually feels good to work in.
Boho Hair Salon feels intentional the second you walk in. Calm energy. Fashion-forward without trying too hard. The kind of space where clients come to feel elevated—but stylists feel taken care of too.
But what stood out most to us wasn’t the aesthetic. It was the culture. Because let’s be honest… the beauty industry has normalized burnout for a long time. Toxic competition. Ego. Chaos behind the chair. Feeling drained by the environment you work in. Boho was intentionally built to be the opposite of that.
This is a salon focused on growth without sacrificing peace. A team that values professionalism, creativity, mentorship, and emotional maturity just as much as great hair. And you can see that in the way they’ve structured the career path.
A commission structure that grows from junior to master level
Uncapped earning potential
PTO that accrues over time
Quarterly one-on-one growth meetings
Leadership opportunities
Ongoing advanced education
This isn’t “figure it out on your own” culture. It’s development with intention. And that matters—especially for experienced stylists who know they’re capable of more, but also know environment changes everything. The clientele is modern and loyal. The work is elevated. The standards are high.
👉 Apply with your portfolio + watch the video to experience the space for yourself
🎤 Educators Wanted: Your Dream Role Just Went Live
Ready to teach, inspire, and represent iconic brands?
💥 Educator roles at Pureology, Matrix and Kérastase are now LIVE on BEAUTISTA.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a rising educator, this is your moment.
🔦 BEAUTISTA Spotlight
Aritza Caneiro | Houston, TX | Cosmo
“I Don’t Want to Just Be Good. I Want to Be Unforgettable.”
Aritza Caneiro isn’t just building a beauty career. She’s building a life.
A Houston-based cosmetology student, mom of two boys, future stylist, nail tech, and Beacon award recipient, Aritza’s portfolio immediately stands out because it feels incredibly intentional. From her imagery, to her messaging, to the way she talks about beauty—you can feel that she already understands something a lot of people don’t: Beauty is energy. Confidence. Transformation. Healing. Presence.
Her portfolio reads less like someone “trying to make it” and more like someone already stepping into who she’s becoming. One line in particular stayed with us:
“I walk with confidence because the universe walks with me.”
And honestly… that mindset is all throughout her work. She talks openly about balancing motherhood, school, ambition, and purpose while building a future for herself and her boys. There’s this mix of softness, hustle, spirituality, and confidence that makes her feel incredibly current and aligned with where the industry is heading.
What stood out most this week was her application video for BEAUTISTA opportunity to shadow Sam Villa at Redken Symposium.
She said: “I’m applying not just because I’m building my career in beauty, but because I’m building a life my kids can be proud of.”
And you could feel how much she meant it. But the line that really stayed with us was this: “I don’t want to just be good. I want to be unforgettable.”
Not ego. Not attention-seeking. Vision. Because the people who become unforgettable in this industry are usually the ones connected to something deeper than trends. They understand that beauty isn’t just about how someone looks when they leave your chair. It’s about how they feel.
Want this for your students?
Reach out to hello@beautista.com and we’ll show you how to make it happen
💫 WE WANT TO FEATURE YOU
Have a story about how BEAUTISTA helped or inspired your career? Email us at hello@beautista.com to be spotlighted in an upcoming issue.
💡 BEAUTISTA Tips & Tricks
Your Portfolio IS Your Resume
Getting ready to apply for a job opportunity on BEAUTISTA? No need to upload a traditional resume — your portfolio is your resume.
Your Beautista portfolio showcases your work, experience, and expertise in a way a plain resume never could. Before you apply for any opportunity, make sure it's complete and up to date:
👉 Go to your My Portfolio → Edit
Add your best work, fill in your details, and let your portfolio do the talking. That's what sets BEAUTISTA professionals apart.
Print your auto generated BEAUTISTA Resume
🖨️ My Portfolio --> Print Resume
Want to be featured on The TRIMM? Email us and we’ll take it from there: hello@beautista.com
💌 Pass It On
Know someone who needs this kind of real talk in their beauty journey?
Share The TRIMM with a fellow BEAUTISTA and help them grow, too.
Want to catch up with last week's post? Click here.