Start With A Win - Making an Impact by Loving Yourself First with Winn Claybaugh

Episode Date: February 17, 2021

Our guest on this episode of the Start With A Win podcast is Winn Claybaugh, Dean, and Co-Founder of Paul Mitchell Schools, author, motivational speaker, and experienced businessman. Winn got into the business of hair at the encouragement of some of his friends who said he would be good at running a salon. So in 1984, he opened a 3-chair salon and shortly thereafter started a school that would eventually become Paul Mitchell Schools when he teamed up with John Paul DeJoria. Winn found that while he has no experience as a hairdresser, this business is the perfect fit for his passions, helping students learn the craft and find their stride before embarking off in their own directions to serve their clients.At this point in his career, Winn mainly focuses on the philanthropic endeavors of Paul Mitchell Schools, orchestrating support for many charitable organizations including Children’s Miracle Network. He wants to make sure that the schools continue to positively impact the citizens in local communities and also reach out a helping hand to those in need. For Winn, this enthusiasm is grounded in the mindset that everyone who influences other people is a leader and that to make this influence mutually beneficial, it is important for each leader to establish a routine of self-love. Each person should know what things to do and what things not to do to be the best version of themselves and, in turn, improve the lives of everyone around them. Winn points out that there are three basic human needs: to feel safe, to belong, and to have a sense of purpose. To provide these things to others, particularly in a work environment, leaders must approach everyone as if they are saying “Make me feel important.” Understand their fears and sell them hope. This is not an easy thing to do, so it must come from a place of self-love and self-awareness that you might need to put in some work to give people what they need from you.Connect with Winn:https://www.winnclaybaugh.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/masters-by-winn-claybaugh/id1476413755 https://www.linkedin.com/in/winnclaybaugh https://www.instagram.com/winnclaybaugh/https://twitter.com/winnclaybaugh https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVGPG1wt0dBKB0QZwCJZtYg Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Every day is filled with choices. You're here because you're choosing to start with a win. Get ready to be inspired, learn something new, and connect with the win nation. And coming to you from Denver, Colorado in the Fort Contos bunker here, it's Adam Contos, CEO of Remax with Start With A Win. How you doing, producer Mark? I'm doing so good. I love it. You got your hair cut, buddy. It looks good. We got to keep these things fresh and clean, as I like to say. I like it. Hey, we have somebody on here that has something

to do with that. All right. I'm excited for our conversation. I'm super excited about this too, because the guest that we have on today's show, Wynn Claybaugh, is the dean and co-founder of Paul Mitchell Schools. He's an author, public speaker, and a successful businessman for, I mean, several decades. I mean, This guy has done so much. He has so many connections. Wynn's teachings offer really a solid plan for generating enthusiasm, teamwork, productivity that really any business or individual needs to unleash in order to get this flow of abundant success going on. Just a little bit of background on Wynn. Him and Paul Mitchell Schools have been supporting Children's Miracle Network,

also one of our favorite organizations for years. And from 2004 to 2018, Paul Mitchell Schools have raised over $20 million for multiple charitable organizations, including Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. So I want to welcome to the show a great guy. This is going to be a fun interview. We had a lot of pre-show conversation. It was a blast. Wynn, welcome to Start With a Wynn. Oh, thank you, Adam and Mark. It's really a pleasure to be here. I don't take this time for granted, so thanks for having me. Hey, it's a pleasure to have you here. And I mean, we're looking at each other on video right now. One of the first things that stands out to me,

to the Dean and co-founder of Paul Mitchell Schools is your haircut. So I mean, you're probably the best at cutting hairs on the planet. I mean, I'm actually not a hairdresser. I've never been a hairdresser. But the cool thing about this industry or any industry is that it's really not so much about your resume as it is about your passion. You mentioned it in the beginning, just the importance of enthusiasm. And so I just think that that enthusiasm is far more important than what's on your resume. That's such a great point. And I want to dive right into one of the things that are really near and dear to both my heart and your heart. Usually, so many interviews talk about philanthropy towards the end of the interview.

And I think that's unfortunate because this is a huge part of society, us being able to help each other and give back and build upon our businesses and enthusiasm personally with that. So give us a little bit of background on your relationship with helping the kids at CMN. Well, first of all, I've known Marie Osmond for many years. And I mean, how do you say no to her? Truly one of the nicest people on the planet and how she uses her power and her influence. I had the chance to interview her recently. And you know, we didn't talk about her career or about her hit records. It was about her experiences. And I think that the best teachers and mentors are storytellers. And she's such a great storyteller and losing a son to suicide

and her own battle with depression and overcoming so many, many things. She's somebody that I want to follow, not just as a friend, but as a hero and as a mentor. So when Marie comes knocking saying, can you please support this incredible organization? Again, how do you say no to that? Plus, you know, I have an eight-year-old daughter and I remember being in the hospital when she was born and watching them do the checks on her that, you know, is her hearing okay? Is her eyesight okay? And just sitting by just so, so nervous, like what's the result of this check that they're doing on her right now? I just, I can't imagine what that feels like for a parent when what they receive back is

that there's a challenge. There's a medical challenge. I can't imagine what that feels like. And so, if me or my company, my influence, my organization can be a small part in donating and supporting that wonderful, wonderful organization that supports, what is it, Adam, 10 million children a year walk into a Children's Miracle Network hospital. If we can be a part of that, I'm thrilled to do that. That is truly amazing. We graciously thank you for your contribution to that amazing organization. All of our agents around North America have a level of contribution.

They create miracle homes and things like that when they list properties. And a portion of their commission goes to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. So we're super excited about being part alongside you and helping the kids because I mean, I'm a dad. I've been to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals also just like you. And I'll tell you what, we are blessed to have that organization on this planet because it does save lives. It makes children's lives so much better and so much more fulfilling and longevity. So thank you to everybody who contributed to that and continues to, I ask everybody, take a look. It's simple, it's small, and it makes a big

difference, all of us together. So, Wynn, I want to jump into your history here in business and the things that you accomplish. I mean, you're probably best known as the dean and co-founder of Paul Mitchell Schools, which you helped launch in 1984. I mean, can you give us a little bit of background on yourself? Tell us about your history and how you got to where you're at. Yeah, absolutely. I had friends, again, not a hairdresser, but I had friends that were hairdressers. They talked me into opening up a small three-chair salon back in 1984. I then quickly expanded into the school business, which is what I fell in love with, the idea of working with students. What I like to say is that students have what we call beginner's luck, which basically means that they don't know it won't work. I can walk into one of

my schools with the stupidest idea, and my students are like, yeah, let's do it. And again, I just love that passion. So, I quickly expanded into multiple schools, and then becoming an author and a motivational speaker, I caught the attention of John Paul DeGioia, the founder of Palm Mitchell. He's the guy that you see in the TV commercials with the ponytail and the beard. And so, he had invited me multiple times to do engagements, speaking events with his company around the world. And that's how we became connected. And then in the year 2000, we became business partners and started opening up Palm Mitchell Schools. And now today we have about 110 schools around the country, a couple internationally, about 14,000 students a year attend our schools.

And the good part about my job now, because I've been doing this so long, I have wonderful people who handle all kinds of things and running the company. So what I get to do is put the majority of my time and energy into philanthropy and to giving back, making a difference, and being the ambassador because I think that every company and organization, for-profit company, needs to have that ambassador where there's somebody leading the way of how they're using their power, their influence, their financial means of making a difference in their communities. You know, we want to be part of what's called Generation G. The G stands for generosity. And it's proven through surveys that 86% of consumers will choose to do business with

a company that is also concerned with putting money back into the local community. Meaning, if all you're concerned with is putting money into your own pocket, you're going to lose customers, you're going to lose employees, you're going to lose that loyalty. And so, you have to have that commitment, that dedication locally, globally, of being a good neighbor, being a good citizen, and of giving back to your local communities through a variety of different fundraising and awareness campaigns. Ah, some huge, great points there, Wynn.

I'll tell you what, being in the real estate space, we're a community-based business, a local business. The citizens in the community are the people we serve, and we work alongside them in order to fulfill their happiness needs through housing. And you do this also because fundamentally, we all have this desire to continue to take care of ourselves, our hygiene, our beauty. We want to feel good, have that great enthusiasm. It helps us get places. So it's a really cool thing that you're doing here in creating the artists that deliver that to the community. So you mentioned a few times enthusiasm and success and things

like that. And I know those are foundational aspects of your organization, of Paul Mitchell Schools, and of the salons. Can you give us a little bit of insight? What kind of got you into that mindset? I mean, a lot of people are like, I'm kind of down on myself or the community or whatever. How do you make that switch to seek enthusiasm and success for an organization to be a great part of a community? It's a great question. First of all, whenever we start talking about leadership, and I know that you talk a lot about this in your podcast, the majority of people tune out. They're like, well, I'm not a leader. I don't have that title. I don't have that power. And what we all have to realize and remember is that leadership is not about a title. Leadership is an attitude. In fact,

my definition of leadership is someone who has influence over another human being. So, with that definition, all of us are leaders. And sometimes people think that, well, I have to have the title before I can then make a difference, before I can then have that influence. And my message to everybody is it doesn't matter how long you've been with your company, with your organization. It doesn't matter how long you've lived in your neighborhood or attending that school. You have influence, which makes you a leader. Let's start studying and learning what that means to have influence with other people. The whole entrepreneurial spirit of having passion and having enthusiasm truly is about making a difference in the lives of other

people. Oftentimes, people ask me, well, when, how can I be a better leader? Sometimes my answer is, quit smoking. Fix your marriage. Start going to the gym because if we're not focused on improving ourselves personally, then we lose credibility. We lose credibility and power in how we make a difference in the lives of other people. I hope everybody listened to that because Wynn touched on a few key points here. The predominant one being leadership is, first of all, nobody makes you a leader. You're not handed your leader card in society. It just doesn't work that way. It's something you do every day and it's something you do holistically every day, not just in one aspect of your life. And I'll tell you, I've followed

Wynn. I've researched Wynn. I've listened to Wynn's interviews. I mean, his podcast, the people interviewing him on podcasts. I mean, he's friends with some of the most spectacular celebrities on this planet. And the reality is, it's because he works on all aspects of his life every single day. In fact, you wrote a book also. And I mean, you identify factors that really have a great influence on this. So the book is called Be Nice or Else, which is so cool. Can you tell us a little bit about that and the foundation for the book? Yeah, absolutely. When we started expanding the Palm Mitchell schools, we knew that we had to have systems and that those systems needed to be written down.

And I'm talking about the systems and having a culture. And culture, what I mean by that is, it's the feeling that people have when they walk into a business. Sometimes you walk into a restaurant and it's like, I like it or I don't like it. I mean, immediately you make that decision based on how you feel. And so, we needed to write all of that down. Well, the process of writing all of this down, along with my own personal journey, that process of writing things down eventually became the book. You talk about that, I do something every single day. And you're right. It is something that I have to do every single day. And why I started journaling, which again became the book, is for me, happiness does not come naturally. To some people, it does come naturally to them, but to me, my entire life, it has never come naturally.

It's something that I have to work at every single day. I have identified what that means, what that looks like, the commitment that I have, the routine that I have on a daily basis just to be happy, just to be nice to myself. The good news is that then translated into the business world. Actually, it was the president of Southwest Airlines, after she started reading some of the journaling that I was doing, decided that she wanted to endorse my book as well and make it a part of the training that they do in that incredible organization. So I think this whole idea of self-love truly, truly is a mantra that can help any company, any business, any human being become

more successful. You can't give what you don't have. And so I embrace this commitment of doing something every single day. I know what that routine looks like every single day just to be happy. Awesome. So, you know, we always tell our kids, be nice to people, right? I mean, it seems like it's cool for us to tell them that, but adults don't like to follow their own statements. I mean, what advice do you have for everybody? And we've got some great key points for being a better leader, for living a better life, being more fulfilled holistically. What key points can you give our listeners, just a couple of them here, in order to be nice and be happy? Okay. Well, first of all, it's called be nice or else.

And some people think that the or else is some threat, and it's not. It's be nice or be a horrible boss. Be nice or be miserable. Be nice or be a horrible parent. Meaning the whole idea of being nice is so that you can perform better in every role that we play on this planet.

You know, ask the question, a mean, nasty person, are they happy or unhappy? And everybody would respond with, well, that's an unhappy person. Well, if you have influence as a boss, is that going to attract and retain a passionate, loyal team member? Are you going to attract and retain passionate, loyal customers? So, it has to start from the top. So, every single day, what I do is there's a routine. And, you know, we're in the middle of a pandemic. So, many of us are still quarantined. We're still following those guidelines as we should. Well, just because we entered that pandemic and we were all quarantined didn't mean that I abandoned everything that I used to do. I mean, I'm still very, very strict

with that schedule. You know, I was up at 4.30 this morning knowing that I had this time with you, but my daughter's up at 6 o'clock. I have a wonderful routine that I have with her every single morning that I would not want to compromise, that I would not give up. So, that means I have to get up 4.30 in the morning before her. You guys, I shaved all of this. I even sprayed cologne. I don't know why. You can't smell me, but that's part of the routine that I would do to have a good experience as I spend time with people. You know, I have a candle going right here. Why?

Because candles make me feel good about myself. So, there's things that I do and things that I avoid in order to be happy because if I'm happy, I'm a better parent. I'm a better spouse. I'm a better son to my lovely mother. I'm a better son to my lovely mother. I'm a better neighbor. And if we're talking about business, I'm a better boss. I'm proud of the fact that many of my team members have been with me for many, many years. And they report that this is the best place that they ever worked, that finally,

they found a place where they belong. And I'm not sure how much time we have here, but three basic human needs of what people are looking for. They're looking for a place where they feel safe. They are looking for a place where they belong. They're looking for a place where they feel like they have a purpose, where they're making a difference. Addressing those three basic human needs is important in any organization. And where does that all start? It starts with us. It starts with every single individual having that personal commitment. Ah, some gold there. Make sure everybody, you rewind that and listen to that. Take down those three basic human needs because those are incredibly important. You look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs and we all live on that pyramid. So listen to what Wynn's saying here.

Wynn, I'm going to ask you a question that I ask everybody, but I'm going to ask it a little bit different because we went through your day. We went through some of the things that you do to build success in your life. And usually I ask everybody, how do you start your day with a win? But you know what? We know how you win in your life. I want to hear one recommendation that you have for everybody that they can accomplish each day in order to start their day with a win. What do you have to tell them to do to start with a win? Gosh, you have good questions. A couple of things come to mind. I remember years ago sitting in a seminar with one of my favorite mentors, Og Mandino, who has since passed away. But he wrote, Og Mandino, I asked the question, a thousand people in the audience.

And I raised my hand and he calls on me. And so I stand up and he, you know, what's your question? And I said, if you had one piece of advice to help all of us become more successful, what would that one piece of advice be? And he thought for a bit, and then he said, just imagine that every person that you come into contact with is wearing a little label that says, make me feel important. Make me feel important. Oh, my gosh. If we did that with our children, make me feel important, dad. If we did that with our customers, with our team members, with everybody that we come into contact with, make me feel

important. And so, I really feel, especially now, right now, with everything happening on this planet, with the pandemic, with the social unrest, that what's missing is hope. There's a lot of fear. And I think that the opposite of fear or how we address that fear is by selling hope. It's our job. And I consider this my job every single day. I need to sell hope because people can be down and out in every way possible. But if there's a little tiny glimmer of hope, then we have a chance. And so I believe that my job is to sell hope. And how I give that to myself is through gratitude. So to answer this with a very long answer, gratitude, gratitude.

I have a little note sitting on my computer. You can't see it, but it's a little note sitting right here that reminds me every single day that the first email that I send out, the first text message that I send out every single day is one of gratitude. I'm reaching out to somebody just randomly and I'm showing gratitude because when I do that, what I give to myself, the gift to myself is that, okay, I have a little hope. I'm focusing on what's working in my life. I have a little bit of hope and now I can turn around and share that with other people. Amazing. Wynn Claybaugh, a huge amount of gratitude to you, my friend. I mean, this has just been so enriching. This conversation has brought me up a couple

levels in my love and gratitude today. So thank you so much for being with us on Start With Wynn. Everybody, make sure you check out Wynn and his book, Be Nice Or Else. Wynn is the dean and co-founder of Paul Mitchell School's amazing human being, great businessman, and incredible motivator. Wynn, thank you for starting with a win. It's a pleasure. Wait, did you change the name of that? Is that a tagline that you changed because my name is Wynn? Is that why you did that? That's the name of our podcast. Start with Wynn.

Start with Wynn at 4.30 this morning. That's it. I love it. Thank you guys so much. And thank you for listening to Start With A Wynn. If you'd like to ask Adam a question or tell us your Start With A Wynn story, go ahead and give us a call and leave us a message at 888-581-4430. Don't forget to go on to iTunes and subscribe, rate the show, leave a review, help us get the word out, read more people. And for more great content, head over to startwithawin.com. You can follow Adam on YouTube,

Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. And remember, start with a win. win