Living Aveda Article - Aveda Women on a Mission | Aveda Australia E-Commerce Site

LIFESTYLE | MARCH 8, 2020

AVEDA WOMEN ON A MISSION

At Aveda, we have a lot to celebrate on International Women’s Day: globally, 73% of our employees, including 67% of our leadership team, are women. Not only that, but within our network, we have women leaders who specialize in chemistry, pharmacognosy, aroma creation, education, artistry, sustainable package design, finance, marketing, management, manufacturing, art direction…and the list goes on! Though our degrees (or schooling or studies) may have differed, we were all drawn to the brand because of one common passion: the Aveda mission to care for the world. At Aveda, we are empowered to live this mission every day, extending the notion of care to how we treat one another, how we treat the planet, and how we approach the creation of every single one of our products.

This International Women’s Day, we are celebrating our entire Aveda team: the amazing women who have achieved so many milestones, and the men who have shown their support every step of the way. We’ve asked some of Aveda’s most inspiring leaders to share what International Women’s Day means to them, who has inspired them, and how they live the Aveda mission in their daily lives.

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International Women’s Day denotes a feeling of sisterhood, a feeling of empowerment. It demonstrates to younger generations that anything is possible if they dream big enough. It celebrates how far we’ve come; reflecting on what our great-grandmas, our grandmas, and our mums have accomplished for us, so that we can walk in their footsteps and magnify what they’ve done. It’s a celebration of what the generations before us have done to give us the possibilities that we have today.

Barbara De Laere

Aveda SVP & Global General Manager

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International Women’s Day is a chance to celebrate all of the wonderful women in our lives. I am lucky enough to have a group of women around me who support me and give me strength – my Mum, my sister, my girlfriends. As women we need to be kind to ourselves and each other…with more kindness in the world anything is possible.

ELYSE KNOWLES

Aveda Ambassador

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I have been very fortunate in my life and career to have met some amazing women who have inspired me. A lot of these women have been normal working women, many whom have been clients at my salons. Now I am living in Australia I can definitely say that one of the women that has inspired me the most is Marcia Langton. She has incredible strength and character with such empathy for others. Her brain and morals have helped her help so many women. Being an indigenous woman who holds the foundations to shares in Australian Indigenous Studies at Melbourne University she has been able to support hundreds of indigenous women and help them to achieve better lives. I consider her to be a humble living legend.

TERRI ROBERTSON KIRKWOOD

Salon Owner, Robertson Kirkwood Rozelle and David Jones Warringah Mall

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When I think about our mission of care, I also think about empowering women – because that is what we do here at Aveda. I am really proud of the women entering the workforce today… they are dreaming much bigger and seeing themselves in positions that women of my generation didn’t know were possible. I am happy to be a mentor for the next generation because, to me, there is nothing more important than leaving the world a better place for the future.

Sue Trondson

Aveda VP Partner Relations

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The most inspiring person in my life has been my Grandma Antoinette. She has given me my drive to empower through education, to live a slow and sustainable life, to take pleasure in the everyday, and to love fiercely. All while being the strongest woman in the room.

Daelynn Shafer

Technical Education Specialist

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As a salon owner, mentoring women on my team - and those outside of the industry too - has led them to greater career satisfaction, engagement and purpose. When you invest time and resources into someone’s professional development, it tells that person that you understand the journey that they are on and want to help them reach their goals. By being a visible advocate and mentor, you create a culture of education, opportunity and family. It’s the foundation of my business and why we have so many team members who have been with me for 10+ years.

China Wong

Founder, Salon Spa W

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Women’s empowerment and equality means everything to me. You never know what a person is going through or the challenges or struggles they are having. Walking up to a woman who is rocking her natural coils and saying, ‘you look good, I love your hair!’ That in itself is so empowering. Doing something that inspires others is empowering.

Naomi Dove

@avedaitgirl

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When I became a working mom and was struggling to find balance, someone gave me really good advice: they said, ‘You are showing your daughter what you are passionate about.’ Years later I still remember this because, to me, it is fundamental to show her what I am passionate about and what she can do.

Janell Geason

Global Artistic Director, Aveda Makeup

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A number of times in my career, people have assumed that because I am a woman I couldn't do ‘the important task’ or I wouldn't want ‘the job,’ so what I would like is for the assumption to change. Anyone can do anything if they can put their mind to it and are willing to develop the skills! If I look back at my career, there have been a number of women who have believed in me and helped me to make decisions to better my career. This is why I am so committed to helping grow the next generation.

Christine Hall

VP, Research & Development, Estée Lauder

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On International Women’s Day, I think about how proud I am to be a woman in a leadership role. I think about my grandmother who was offered a position to be a principal of a high school, on the condition that she didn’t move forward with getting married. I am proud to lead in a time when women leaders don’t have to choose, and that we can have families and careers that encompass work-life harmonization. I am also extremely proud and grateful that I get to lead a company that has such an incredible mission and culture, coupled with a dynamic and talented team filled with potential!

Kristen Swanson

President, JUUT Salon & Spa