CEOInterviews.AIInterview with Davide Bollati CEO Davines

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Stephen Thomas0:04

Hello colleagues, beauty professionals of the world, here I am Stephen Thomas. We have an amazing interview today with someone really special, someone who has been an influencer in our industry, who has been in the front lines. He's just one of the most amazing professionals in our industry. I just can't wait to introduce you to him: Davide Bollati from Davines. Let's see if we can get Davide online. So here we go, we're loading his name in. There he goes, he's invited, he comes online and joins us. This is like a new kind of adventure. Hey, Davide! Fantastic! Good to see you, great to see you. Okay, thanks for joining me today. It's really great. We had such an amazing response on our last interview. I'm so excited to be interviewing you today, especially for this new kind of platform we're creating. Our mission is to wake up the beauty professionals to their true mission in life and the importance they have in society, especially Davide at this time in the world when everything is upside down. Remember the saying 'Beauty will save the world'? I believe that beauty professionals - hairdressers, estheticians, massage artists, nail artists, makeup artists - we're all here on the planet to help make it a better place and bring joy, light, and happiness into people's lives. That's our mission. You have been a frontrunner in this sensitivity. We were working together 28 years ago. I was a young guy from California, New York, still in a fashion scene, and you were already projected towards the future, knowing we needed to be more sensitized to the consumer's true needs. You have been a frontrunner in this as a business leader, and we're all finally starting to catch up.

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Davide Bollati3:16

When I moved from the US after my studies, I felt there was something new I could bring to the small lab of my parents. Since then, I remember you were the first to take me by the hand and introduce me to this industry in a very unique way. I always appreciated your human characteristics because hairdressers are human beings first. That is the first strong statement. Most of the hairdressers I meet are good human beings with good souls and spirit, a combination of fragility and strength. We are made of dreams and aspirations. It's a beautiful industry, and I'm happy that by accident I entered it because of my parents.

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Stephen Thomas4:39

Oh, we lost the voice the other day. And there you're back. Okay, so your parents, you were saying.

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Davide Bollati4:49

No, I was saying that just by accident, by coincidence, I entered into this industry because of my parents.

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Stephen Thomas5:03

Can everybody hear David? They're out there because I can't hear him from where I'm at. Can somebody send a message and say if we can be heard?

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Davide Bollati5:19

Yeah, no, because sometimes when I receive a call it seems it goes away. But anyways, too many calls.

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Stephen Thomas5:27

Yeah, I can appreciate that. I understand.

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Davide Bollati5:32

I feel fortunate to work in this industry that is very human driven, relationship driven. We are not transaction driven; we are relationship driven. As long as we understand that, we are in good shape.

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Stephen Thomas6:02

Absolutely. Well, you know, Davide, the world in the last two, almost three years, has really been turned upside down. We've been separated, there's been so much happening politically, economically, everything uncertain. There's war, aggression, monetary changes. Right now, it is our time as a profession to shine, to be the rock for the people who come to see us. We need to be sensitized to how people feel because our industry is a touch, relationship industry. I've been visiting salons since lockdowns. On one city block, a salon is full of clients buzzing, and 50 meters away another is almost empty. The main difference was the energy and joy. The busy salons had super smiley, receptive, positive people. The empty ones started complaining immediately. So our attitude needs to be positive. What are your feelings on this?

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Davide Bollati8:56

When we were in lockdown, I was surprised that the first need women missed was their hairdresser. That shows our industry is as important as food or pharmaceuticals. It became an industry of first necessity. The energy and attitude make a big difference. Our salons should be beautiful with attention to detail. I love that each hairdresser has their own style; there is great biodiversity. This industry doesn't surrender to chains or brands telling you what to do. It has uniqueness in its DNA. 95% of salons are unique and different, very kaleidoscopic. Then there are human characteristics and values. Sometimes we can be too egocentric, but I've seen successful hairdressers with big egos and also very humble ones. What matters is energy, respect, performance, and the values we stand for. The world has changed greatly in three years. Our lives, thinking, priorities have changed. We learned things we didn't want to learn, as if we lived 10 or 20 years instead of three. I feel sad about some situations but also see this moment of change as an opportunity. If we transform ourselves, we can be much better off. Davines has had incredible years. It seems the more problems in the world, the more we go well.

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Stephen Thomas11:33

I think it does because one thing undisputable is that post lockdown, clients said they missed their hairdresser, nail artist, esthetician. That gives us an advantage over any other industry. We can affect people's lives beyond skin and hair; we touch the heart and soul. Davide, however big your ego or secure you are, if you act with the intention to help others because that's why we are here - to make people feel better, happier, more loving and lovable - if we work with that awareness every morning and ask what we can do to make someone's life better, then our attitudes will change everyone we contact. That vibration extends into society and the world. That's a powerful thing, don't you think? A huge army of good doers.

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Davide Bollati15:39

You feel better when you give than when you receive. So we are fortunate in this industry because we make people feel good. It's a virtuous circle. Why did people miss the salon during lockdown more than anything? This is a moment for pampering and self-care. The relationship and environment are important. Our industry's value will grow because time and self-care will become more important. I think we are in the right spot.

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Stephen Thomas17:27

I don't think technology can substitute human interaction - the loving kindness of washing someone's hair, giving a massage, drying hair, making them feel good. All these acts are loving gestures that make the world better. We raise the planet's vibration, Davide. Don't you agree?

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Davide Bollati18:41

You create a lot of energy, Stephen. There's a reason since day one you believed in this. It's about love and giving. I am also dedicated to the environment. It's December and we're in t-shirts in Milan - that should make us think. Believing we have a purpose and mission in life - the right to be happy and live fully - is important. There are different types of happiness: momentary and strategic, long-term happiness built through actions. Setting yourself with the right purpose in life is key. I feel concerned about planet health. Personally, dedicating myself to that passion makes my life fuller. The Japanese call it ikigai - a combination of passion, capability, and good results. How can you not be passionate about beauty? How can you not have a higher purpose? For me it's the environment, for you it's love. Each of us is different and biodiverse. That's a formula for a decent life, and this industry gives us more than that.

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Stephen Thomas22:05

I agree. People successful in this industry choose it very young, even before birth. The passionate beauty professional is conscious about the salon environment and its impact on communities and the planet. They have special awareness to understand people's state of mind. If we feel good after a salon visit, we do better for the world - more kind, loving, and ecologically aware. For example, we think twice about littering. Our industry impacts way beyond hair, makeup, skin, nails. It impacts people's lives and the globe. That's why I wanted to interview you - Davines has been sensitized from day one, like I have been. You stuck with that when others pushed for more fashion and glam.

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Davide Bollati25:09

Next year Davines will be 40 years old, founded March 14, 1983. We will have a retrospective and you will be part of the company's history. Our industry has high emotional intelligence capital, which is more important than other types of intelligence. That emotional intelligence can have a huge impact on people's self-esteem. The potential is huge. There are about 80 million beauty places worldwide and over 20 million beauty professionals (more if we include makeup and nails, maybe 40-50 million). Those 40-50 million people have a big responsibility and opportunity to heal the world. I have many beautiful stories of incredible careers and people. Let's keep building on that.

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Stephen Thomas27:19

Absolutely. Thank you, Davide. This is so great. The most important thing for our initiative, and thank you for being our first interview, is to sensitize and awaken beauty professionals to their mission and the positive impact they can have on people, communities, and the world. If even 40-50% of us operate with this awareness every day, the impact could make the saying 'Beauty will save the world' come true.

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Davide Bollati28:39

Yes, in this period it seems there is a headwind, but we must keep walking. Let me ask you a question. Why have chefs become so admired through TV shows while our industry hasn't reached that level? The food industry is important three times a day, but people are also obsessed with beauty. I think we need to use media to show our societal impact. Why do we miss that step?

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Stephen Thomas30:31

Good question. I think food industry programs are sponsored by manufacturers who see the advantage. Beauty manufacturers haven't caught up yet. If they teamed up, we could become a huge media attraction. For example, the YouTube star 'The Makeover Guy' does makeovers on women over 40 and has millions of followers, but no big companies have picked it up. I think it's because manufacturers haven't realized the potential.

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Davide Bollati32:28

I didn't know there was someone behind those shows, but there must be. In Italy, we started a Beauty Week in Milan. It's small but may be the beginning of recognizing beauty's importance. I am also working on a hospitality initiative in Milan with seven floors of hospitality, food, hotel, retail, all linked to biophilia and sustainability. Beauty should be a transversal value. For instance, you go to a restaurant because the host treats you well. The experience is everything.

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Stephen Thomas35:37

The experience is everything. Davide, we have had a relationship for many years. I'm one of your biggest fans. Thank you for being here today sharing these ideas with my beauty colleagues. Please check out Davines products and their initiatives. You are an inspiration. Thank you for being on our first interview to wake up the beauty industry. Are we done? Great.

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Davide Bollati36:38

As always, thank you so much for having this conversation with me for this intro.

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Stephen Thomas36:51

Thank you, Davide. Everybody, take care. Watch us for future interviews with Sam Villa, Nicholas French, and other international hair and beauty celebrities and company leaders. It will be an amazing exchange about waking our industry up to its role in society. I am totally positive for the future of humanity. We can pull it together and make this world a better place.

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Davide Bollati37:38

Yeah, there will be a bigger and bigger role for all of us from this industry in the world. I'm convinced about that.

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Stephen Thomas37:41

Cool, all right. Shout out every day. Oh, thanks everybody.