At Boulevard, one of our core company values is to Elevate the Industry. We don’t just serve the self-care industry; we are committed to advocating for its advancement and progress at every turn. 

Real talk: it ticks us right off that for as long as it’s existed, the self-care industry and the many professionals who work in it have been unfairly stigmatized. After all, we’re talking about an industry that provides services most of us simply can’t live without and professionals who pour their hearts and souls into making us look and feel our best. So, yeah, we get worked up when we hear people make ignorant assumptions about the viability and legitimacy of a career in self-care. 

Let’s get something straight: self-care professionals are here by choice and are experts in what they do. They work as hard to learn and hone their craft as any other expert in any other field – engineering, law, education, you name it. The industry is full of forward-thinking, ambitious entrepreneurs and professionals. They deserve better than to be held down by ridiculous stigmas and a lack of educational opportunities.  

That’s why, this month, in celebration of National Hairstylist Appreciation Day, and in continuation of our year-long Causes that Matter initiative, we’re thrilled to donate to and spotlight Beauty Changes Lives, a remarkable non-profit organization committed to empowering and supporting the next generation of self-care professionals and making beauty and wellness a first-choice profession. Since its founding in 2010 by the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, Beauty Changes Lives has worked tirelessly to reshape perceptions about the viability of careers in the beauty industry and provide better educational opportunities for aspiring self-care professionals. 

The foundation has raised more than $7.5 million and directly impacted the lives of more than 1,500 beauty and wellness professionals through scholarships, mentorship programs, networking opportunities, and other resources for cosmetology, nail, massage, make-up, barber, and esthetics professionals. By recognizing the power of education, Beauty Changes Lives is not only eradicating stigmas and misconceptions but also breaking down the many financial and systemic barriers to entry confronting aspiring self-care professionals, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups. 

If, like Boulevard, you believe in Elevating the Industry and showing your support for a community of professionals who give so much of themselves to us every day, please join us in supporting Beauty Changes Lives. The organization offers numerous ways to get involved and give back. Beauty indeed changes lives, so let’s pay it forward and do our part to help change the lives of tomorrow’s professionals.