{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/68ae8d95982c36846e0fafac/6aa0446ce25cb7d39ea04246?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"From Cabbagetown to the Commonwealth: Mike Goncalves on Rebuilding Respect in Hairdressing","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/68ae8d95982c36846e0fafac/1788887986401-d769563e-6188-43e9-8260-22a4a3945d3a.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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 &amp; 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.</p><p><br></p><p>Tune in for a raw conversation about resilience, mentorship, and why hairdressers deserve far more recognition than they get.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Mike's roots in Toronto and his path into hairdressing via Vidal Sassoon Academy</li><li>Building an Aveda empire and the realities of salon ownership</li><li>A near-fatal accident, recovery, and founding the Yonge &amp; St. Clair BIA</li><li>COVID's impact on the industry and the rise of salon suites</li><li>The education crisis in hairdressing</li><li>The Michelin-inspired Star System and the October launch at Olympia Beauty Show, London</li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"JEFF ALFORD"}