Meet the Owner: Kim McIntosh

What are the key ingredients that go into making a beauty school great? Staff members, instructors, and even the students play a role in whether or not a school is a success or a failure. All of these people are the ingredients of the beauty school, but the owner is the chef that brings all those ingredients together to create something special.

Kim McIntosh, the owner of Crave Beauty Academy, has mastered bringing people together and building a winning culture. Here’s a little bit about what makes Kim a great educator and an all-star leader.

Extensive Experience

Kim has been a beauty professional for over 25 years. After graduating from cosmetology school, she worked behind the chair and found herself managing a salon by the time she was 21. Hard work, determination, and a passion for the industry are some of the things that helped Kim rise to the top so quickly. These are qualities that also make her an awesome beauty school owner and education expert.

Passion for Education

While Kim was attending cosmetology school, she learned something important about herself. She realized that the education side of the beauty industry is where she ultimately wanted to end up. She learned that helping others learn and grow was her true passion. After graduating from cosmetology school and working in a salon for a while, Kim went back to school to get her instructor’s license.

”Seeing the ‘aha’ moments with students when they get what you’re teaching them and you can see the light bulb go on. That’s very rewarding! We want to teach them everything we can and provide them with the tools that they need to be successful. The most rewarding thing for me is to see students love what they do.”

While Kim loves working with clients, creating the perfect hairstyle, and using her technical skills, she lives to see students become beauty industry leaders. She does everything she can to make her students dreams a reality!

The Importance of Mentorship

Something that isn’t usually covered in class during beauty school is the importance of finding a mentor. A mentor can guide you, give you advice, and help you find opportunities. Finding a good mentor can make a big difference for aspiring beauty pros. When talking about the importance of mentors Kim said, “I’ve been a firm believer that you need to surround yourself with people who are smart and the best at what they do. I’ve been lucky enough to have had three or four mentors in my life…they took me under their wings and shared their knowledge and insight about education and business. That’s when I knew that I wanted to [go into] the education side of the industry. It’s important to surround yourself with people that are intelligent, have different strengths than you, and develop mentors [to help] you grow and strive to be your best.”

Because the mentors in Kim’s life have played such a big role, she wants to make sure that the students of Crave have that opportunity as well. To support this Kim tries to make sure that the students learn the importance of developing mentors, have opportunities to connect with people who could be mentors, and makes herself available to be a mentor as well.

It Takes Teamwork

Another important aspect of running a great beauty school and helping students learn and grow is teamwork. Every team member at each Crave campus plays an important role in giving students everything they need to succeed. Even Kim’s husband and co-owner, Stan, plays an integral part in making sure that everything at Crave is running smoothly and he is a constant support to Kim. Crave is a family business and it’s important to Kim and Stan that every staff member, educator, and student feels like they are a member of the Crave family.

Creating an Exciting Culture

One of the most important and challenging jobs that a beauty school owner must do is to create a fantastic culture. The culture of a school makes a difference in how the students feel and learn while they are at school, so creating a positive culture is crucial. When asked about what kind of culture she wants to create, Kim said, “The culture that we try to cultivate at Crave Beauty Academy is number one to have fun. I think it’s really important that we enjoy what we do and have fun doing it. Second is working hard and lifelong learning. We constantly want to continue learning new things and evolving and staying open minded.”

It’s no doubt that Kim and her team have succeeded in creating a great culture. Every day is kicked off with a pow-wow to highlight wins and success stories. There are also monthly awards, student spotlights, and celebrations of those go above and beyond. It’s a place where students can get excited about their education and the career path that they are on.

Looking for a Place to Thrive?

Thinking that a career in the beauty industry might be for you? Come experience the amazing culture at Crave. You schedule a tour to see our Wichita or Saint Louis campuses and get a first hand look at what the culture is like. We can’t wait to show you around!

Go to Cravebeautyacademy.com to learn even more about Crave!