Stephanie Beckham

My career in the salon and spa industry spans nearly 30 years, starting in 1997. I began at the front desk of a salon, which was my first stepping stone into this industry. From there, I pursued my cosmetology license at the Aveda Institute and completed an apprenticeship before spending decades doing hair behind the chair. Most of my career has been with Aveda, a worldwide company that I'm deeply connected to. Eventually, I went back to school at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) for my spa management degree. At the time, our industry wasn't taken seriously by many, including my own family, who wanted me to have what they considered a proper, successful career. But SWIHA was one of the first schools to offer a degree program in our industry, an associate's degree in spa management, and that education opened doors for me. Within two years of earning my degree, I was presented with a management opportunity, and I've been in management since 2015. Now I'm managing an Aveda salon in North Scottsdale, which was always a big goal of mine. My role encompasses operations, inventory, scheduling, onboarding, and training, but what I'm most passionate about is mentoring and coaching. That really fills my cup and gives me a lot of joy. I wear many hats at the salon, from managing staff and overseeing operations to working the front desk when needed and having face-to-face interactions with our guests. I'm also part of a leadership team that meets weekly, where we're always being creative and looking for opportunities to evolve and grow. I've worked in every role, so I feel like I'm a better leader because I stay connected to all departments and am really part of what's happening. There's still so much growth and opportunity for me, even at this stage of my career, and I'm very passionate about what I do. My professional life is a big part of my personal life as well.