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36 | BEAUTY LAUNCHPAD | OCTOBER 2017 L I V E & LE A R N Profi les COURTESY OF JOHN PAUL MITCHELL SYSTEMS A t 12, punk rock skateboarder Colin Caruso's (@colincaruso) DIY bleach jobs and bright hues caught friends' attention, which led to dye-job requests throughout high school. Though he ticked off hordes of parents in his tiny South Jersey town, Caruso's mom encouraged this fl ourishing talent—even convincing him to forget fi lm school and become a stylist. "I didn't know it was an actual job, being a hair colorist!" he recalls. "I was so hesitant, I actually dropped out six months into school but returned three months later." The new grad relocated to Hoboken, New Jersey, landing an assistant position at 19, then managing another salon while still an assistant. But by 26, he opened his own hot spot, Salon CARU, on the third fl oor of an empty building ("the cheapest fl oor," Caruso laughs). Despite zero signage, the salon thrived through word of mouth; starting with fi ve stylists, it raked in $300,000 its fi rst year. Meanwhile, his educator role at John Paul Mitchell Systems (@paulmitchellus) developed 15 years ago when he reluctantly attended a hair show and caught Robert Cromeans' business presentation. "I knew I had the skill set to be a great colorist, but I didn't have the mind-set to be a great businessperson," Caruso relates. "I implemented Robert's tricks of the trade, and within a year and a half, I was a $100,000-a-year hairdresser. I wanted to do for one person what Robert did for me; that's why I joined Paul Mitchell as a color educator." Today, as artistic director of color for JPMS, he's living that dream, helping fellow colorists score success and recruiting new educators for the team. Now with 18 staff members, his 13-year-old salon has also fl ourished, thanks in part to lessons learned while teaching, from color corrections and overcoming business challenges to taking notes while globetrotting. His main goal today? Spreading the JPMS color gospel. "We're one of the best-kept secrets in our industry, but we're also one of the best color companies out there," Caruso enthuses. "I'm here to let the world know we're a color force to be reckoned with." Colin Caruso, former beauty school dropout turned star colorist, owner and educator, plans to saturate the industry as artistic director of color for John Paul Mitchell Systems. ÑTRACY MORIN Tour de Force FUN FACTS I've been married for 15 years and have three kids. 1 2 3 I coach two soccer teams and play on two men's teams. I'm an avid sneaker collector—I probably have 150 pairs! Colin Caruso presents color techniques on stage. Caruso owns Salon CARU in Hoboken, New Jersey. I te t p readin g the JPMS color g os p el.