Would you believe me if I told you that one of the beauty industries biggest companies has a co-founder that used to make a measely three dollars a day returning bottles while living out of his car? Well it's true, and it's the rags to riches story of Jean Paul Dejoria, co-founder and president of Paul Mitchell, the multi-billion dollar beauty biz leader.
Because he is very familiar with what it's like to be in an unfortunate position, philanthropy is very important to him and he does everything in his will to instill it into the legacy of his company.
"It’s about each of us paying more than our share of rent on this planet in order to help many people have much better lives or even have the chance to live one. What a great culture that is!" -Dejoria
Lauren Thompson, student at the Paul Mitchell partner school, Parisian Beauty Academy, shares her personal exposure to the big-hearted nature of the Paul Mitchell family:
Heather: What role does fundraising play in your day to day studies?
Lauren Thompson: Since March, I have participated in two different large-scaled fundraising activities. The first being a fashion show that raised funds for such charitable organizations as Leeza's Place and The Larry King Cardiac Foundation. As a school we each committed to selling 100 bookmarks in addition to the raffle and show tickets. The second fundraiser I just finished was the 2008 Summer Caper, an annual nationwide (all the Paul Mitchell Schools) product sale whose proceeds contributed to various organizations including the Special Olympics and City of Hope. The role it plays is pretty significant. The fashion show is a big event the whole school participates in and even gets graded on. The fact that such a big event is also a fundraiser proves the fundraising importance the structure of the school.
Heather: Does the charitable involvement of Paul Mitchell, both at your scale and the larger scale, give you a sense of pride?
Lauren Thompson: Absolutely, I feel like it makes every effort worth my while knowing that I am contributing my time to an organization that gives back. Upon graduation I would love to continue to be a vehicle of Paul Mitchell's charitable efforts. It is nice to know there are large organizations who respect the importance of giving back to the community.
Heather: Do you feel the efforts are solely based on advancing the image of Paul Mitchell?
Lauren Thompson: No, I know that everyone involved really cares about giving back. We are all inspired by Jean Paul Dejoria's generousity and passion in philanthropy. He wants to create opportunities for those less fortunate. It is very important to him and the rest of the company to instill a sense of benevolance in anyone who is affiliated with the company.
So the next time you are using your super skinny serum (and if you aren't using super skinny, get on it), remember that it's coming from a company that has an enormously altruistic culture. It's always nice to hear about companys who are giving back not only in a PR capacity, but also for the sheer benefit of those they donate time and effort to.
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