ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What does it take to go from a Cabbagetown upbringing to building an Aveda empire in Toronto — and then reimagine an entire industry's standards from the ground up? In this episode, host Jeff sits down with Mike Goncalves, hairdresser, salon owner, and co-founder of the Commonwealth Beauty Council.
Mike shares his journey from discovering hairdressing at Vidal Sassoon Academy in LA to running two Aveda concept salons for 18 years, surviving a near-fatal motorcycle accident and coma, and rebuilding both his career and his community as founder of the Yonge & St. Clair BIA. He opens up about how COVID exposed a "rock bottom" moment for the industry — home services, the salon suite boom, and a growing loss of professional respect — and how that crisis sparked the idea for the Commonwealth Beauty Council, a Michelin-inspired rating system for hairdressers built with his daughter.
Tune in for a raw conversation about resilience, mentorship, and why hairdressers deserve far more recognition than they get.
In this episode:
- Mike's roots in Toronto and his path into hairdressing via Vidal Sassoon Academy
- Building an Aveda empire and the realities of salon ownership
- A near-fatal accident, recovery, and founding the Yonge & St. Clair BIA
- COVID's impact on the industry and the rise of salon suites
- The education crisis in hairdressing
- The Michelin-inspired Star System and the October launch at Olympia Beauty Show, London
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
