More than 1,200 students, salon professionals, educators, artists, salon owners, brand leaders, trade schools, executives, entrepreneurs, and beauty industry innovators came together Monday, September 28, for From Chair to Boss,™ Live!, an extraordinary day of education, mentorship, business strategy, networking, and inspiration created by industry visionary Mireya Villarreal.
Held at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, the inaugural live event brought together an unprecedented cross section of the professional beauty community, creating an atmosphere of collaboration, possibility, and momentum that extended far beyond the stage.
What began as Villarreal’s vision to give beauty professionals access to the people, knowledge, resources, and conversations that can change the trajectory of their careers became a powerful gathering of more than 1,200 people united by a shared belief: the future of beauty is built together.
“This was so much bigger than an event,” said Mireya Villarreal, founder of From Chair to Boss™. “It was a room full of people who believe in this industry, who believe in themselves, and who believe that we are stronger when we rise together. Seeing students sitting alongside salon owners, educators, brand executives, artists, founders and leaders. Watching those connections happen in real time was incredibly powerful!”
Throughout the day, attendees experienced candid conversations, actionable business education, personal stories of resilience and success, mentorship, networking, and insights from some of the most influential voices across the professional beauty industry and beyond.
The event featured an impressive roster of artists, educators, entrepreneurs, executives, founders, brand leaders, and innovators, including Sheri Doss, Juan Carlos, Hannah Benson, Chrystofer Benson, Elizabeth Faye, Nick Stenson, Dimitra Louro, Margaret Francois-Aiyegbusi, Sarah Lund, Marissa Lauren, Anna Manukyan, Lisa Green, Karen Gaines, Lauren Terry, Jaimee Harris Smith, Benjamin Powell, Benia Davis, Kate Oechsle-Truesdale, Christopher Aaron, Kelly Westbrook, Penny Burns, Steve Wren, Dave Dolce, Nicole “Coko” Taft, Jennifer Alvarez, Jamie DiGrazia, Dylan Pritchard, Bobbi Powell, Bryan “Junior,” and many more.
With six hours of continuing education, a full day of programming, lunch, giveaways, networking, and access to leaders from across the beauty ecosystem, From Chair to Boss™ Live! was designed to meet professionals wherever they are in their careers. From students and emerging artists to seasoned salon owners, independent professionals, educators, corporate beauty leaders, brand representatives, and aspiring entrepreneurs – all were represented and seen.
At the center of the experience was a message Villarreal has championed throughout her career: talent can open the door, but sustainable success requires business knowledge, strategy, mentorship, relationships, and the willingness to keep growing.
“Beauty professionals are capable of so much more than they sometimes give themselves permission to imagine,” Villarreal said. “I want people to leave this experience knowing that there is no single definition of success in our industry. You can build a career behind the chair, become an educator, open a salon, build a brand, lead a team, create partnerships, or completely reinvent what your career looks like. There are so many paths—and you don’t have to build your path alone.”
From Education to Action
One of the day’s most anticipated moments was the Dreams to Dollars $70K Challenge, presented in partnership with From Chair to Boss™ and Beauty Cast Network. The live competition put emerging beauty professionals in the spotlight!
The challenge embodied the larger purpose of xi turning inspiration into action and giving beauty professionals practical tools to create sustainable businesses and careers.
But the impact of the day did not end when the event concluded. Villarreal challenged attendees to take the energy of the room with them and turn it into meaningful action—following up with the people they met, putting at least one idea from the day into practice, staying connected through the From Chair to Boss™ community, and continuing to build relationships with people who can help them grow.
“Don’t let the energy of this day stay in this room,” Villarreal told attendees. “Follow up with the person you met. Send the DM. Make the phone call. Take one thing you learned and put it into action. Keep researching and keep building your network and keep putting yourself in rooms that challenge you, inspire you, and remind you of what is possible.”
A Movement With Momentum
From Chair to Boss,™ Live! demonstrated the growing demand for a platform that brings the beauty community together around more than technique alone.
The response from attendees, speakers, educators, brands, and industry leaders underscored the appetite for continued conversations around business, leadership, career development, entrepreneurship, financial success, education, and the evolving opportunities within professional beauty.
“This is just the beginning,” said Villarreal. “The momentum is real, and I feel it. There is so much more we need to talk about, so much more we need to build, and so many more people who need to be in this conversation. From Chair to Boss! is here to stay. We are going to keep creating spaces where people can learn, connect, dream bigger, and build what comes next together.”
With more than 1,200 people in attendance, an extraordinary lineup of industry leaders, and a community energized to keep the conversation going, From Chair to Boss,™ Live! established itself as a can’t-miss gathering for the professional beauty industry.
For those who were in the room, the message was clear: this wasn’t simply a day on the calendar. It was the beginning of something bigger.
