INSTYLE May-June 2019

INFEATURE
THE
TERRY
TOUCH
TERRY HAWKINS IS THE ICONIC
TRANSFORMATIONAL SPEAKER WHO CREATED
THE FLIPMAN AND PITMAN DICHOTOMY IN
THE EARLY 1990S AND CONTINUES TO RECEIVE
STANDING OVATIONS FOR HER HIGHLY
IMMERSIVE PRESENTATIONS. AS INSTYLE REAL
TALK’S OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND
EMCEE,WE CAN’T WAIT TO WELCOME HER TO
AUSTRALIA IN AUGUST.
Terry is an award-winning educator, author, and
formerly Australia’s most booked female speaker.
Having personally trained thousands of hair salon
retailers and stylists over the past thirty years,
ranging from large national chains to a multitude of
independents, Terry has an uncanny knack for the hair category
and what it takes to create success. Her origins as a retail educator,
and the ethos of her keynote address for Real Talk will revolve
around the word empathy. “I was pioneering in the sense that
words and themes that are in vogue today: empathy, compassion,
or more unfortunately referred to as ‘soft skills’; these were
experiences I ignited in the retail training room back in the
early 1990s. Today, there’s nothing soft about them, and they
are considered buzzwords, but to me and our company Progress
Retail, is about real, meaningful connection,” Hawkins said.
“The hair category has the deepest opportunity for a heightened
and more authentic connection.”
However Hawkins would argue, most of the work today
involving compassion training and the likes are very superficial.
“Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes is just the first step of
true empathy; there are additional layers most people never reach,
but as tens of thousands of our alumni that have attended our inperson
training programs would attest to- it is transformational.”
Transformational is a word in heavy use as it relates to Hawkins
and the business she founded in 1989, Progress Retail (formerly
People in Progress). At the age of 28, and with less than $200 to
her name, she was able to sign her first retail training partner, the
iconic Surf Dive N Ski, when it was owned by Tom Tsipris, and at
a point when they only had four stores. The pedigree of Terry’s
partnerships has been impressive, with retail brands like Mecca
Brands, M.J. Bale, Seed Heritage, Camilla and Marc and many
more listed as current clients.
“The hair category has the deepest
opportunity for a heightened and
more authentic connection.”
Recognising the shift in technology and learning, Terry and her
team have added the vital e-learning component, and are scaling
this model throughout the hair category. The largest Price Attack
franchisee, and the Chatters Hair Salons in Canada are currently
in partnership with 24/7 access to Terry’s “HAIR” content.
“We know that the foundations of working in a successful salon
are around sales and service, but the product knowledge and
vendor piece is critical. That is why our learning platform, which
we’ve built all on our own, enables not only the retailer to upload
their own learning content, but the vendors are beginning to jump
on the opportunity. We have a one-stop shop for all things hair
retail that is proving decreases in employee turnover, increased
average sale and conversion rates, and making for more satisfied
customers who are getting their hair needs exceeded.”
Terry resides in Los Angeles with her two children Harison and
Jackson however progress Retail has offices in Sydney and
Chicago, for more information email hello@progressretail.com or
Terry@TerryHawkins.com +1 310.910.3418
142 INSTYLE