Johnny Andrean creates jobs whith the right cut
By I. Christianto
JAKARTA (JP): Despite his packed schedule, leading beauty consultant Johnny Andrean found time for an interview recently at his new training center at Pluit Megamal, North Jakarta.
Johnny, 37, runs 65 beauty salons, including three training centers and four bridal studios, employing around 1,000 staff. He began from a small house in Pademangan, North Jakarta, probably never dreaming he would one day charge Rp 200,000 for a haircut and Rp 3 million for bridal makeup.
On an average day, 100 customers visit each of his salons.
The following are excerpts from the interview with the hairstylist and beautician:
Q: Why did you choose this profession?
A: It's kind of hereditary. My mother worked in this field. Besides, I like aesthetic qualities and beauty, how to make people more handsome or more beautiful.
Q: How did you start out? What were the obstacles?
A: I started in 1978 by cutting the hair of my relatives.
I became convinced that this was my calling. My father initially wanted me to follow in his footsteps as an entrepreneur. He didn't like my choice, but my mother accepted it. My father eventually came around. I worked hard to prove that as long as we are serious, we will get the same results and satisfaction working in any field.
Q: What is your philosophy?
A: It is simple: The customer is the boss. This is what I teach all my staff. The office boys, hairstylists and everybody working with me have to understand that we are working for the "bosses". We have to take care of them and pay attention to their interests.
Q: How do you manage your staff?
A: Give them trust in accordance with their skills. We also delegate responsibilities and set targets. The other day, when this newest training center opened, I could not attend because I was holding a show at another place. So I just delegated the duties to my staff.
Q: Career highlights?
A: I won the men's haircut, women's haircut and the hairstyling categories at a Southeast Asian hair contest in Yogyakarta in 1984.
Q: Any bitter memories?
A: Once I really trusted one of my staff. I taught this person everything I know. But the person betrayed me by opening a salon next to mine and poaching my staff.
Q: Did you have any formal beauty studies?
A: In 1978, I noticed how my mother was doing makeup for other people. On her advice, I took courses at some beauty training centers in Jakarta. Then I went to study hairstyling at Vidal Sassoon and Tony & Guy in London. I learned a lot there. I also studied makeup in London and Paris. I learned the tricks on how to make people more attractive.
Q: How did you expand and manage your salons?
A: I returned to Jakarta to run my first salon. Then it became two, and with the assistance of relatives, I continued to expand. I also joined forces with my wife, Tina, whom I married in 1985, by opening a bridal center. Tina is a designer.
I tell my staff that we have to serve customers in their spare time. That means we have to work seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. This is nothing compared with other services which open 24 hours. Customers now need treatment at odd hours because they are becoming busier and working later.
Q: Further ambitions?
A: The bridal studio I run with my wife is now the leading bridal service in the country. I think I would like to open more training centers. By having my own training centers, I can supply and manage human resources. I'm also glad that I can create more jobs as I open more salons.
Q: What is the hairstyling profession like?
A: It can take up to one year for someone to master haircutting. A hairstylist can make a fair income. A beginner can handle eight customers a day, and he or she can earn up to Rp 1 million daily, inclusive of tips. A hairstylist has to know how to approach customers. Working at beauty salons offers other benefits, as we get to know many people.
Q: More men are entering the profession...
A: I don't believe there are such things as male or female jobs. In my opinion, men are the most appropriate judges of women's beauty. They understand and know what most men want to see in women.
(The latest training center at Pluit Megamal is also a beauty salon which offers rates, ranging from Rp 3,000 for a hair cut to Rp 14,000 for a package of coloring, cut and blow. Many high school students and company employees visit the salon. Johnny plans to enlarge the center into a 500-square-meter studio. combining a cafe, salon and a training center).
Q: Are you satisfied with what you have achieved?
A: Now I run 65 salons, some of them under joint operation schemes. I don't think I need to create a particular corporation, like a holding company, for this kind of business. I am satisfied with this. It would be complicated if I had many firms. Since 1993, I have produced ProSport men's cosmetics. But I am a bit dissatisfied with the results.
Q: What about family life?
A: I am a happy father of four children. My eldest is 12 years while the youngest is one-and-a-half years. My wife and I are hard workers; I work about 10 hours a day. We try to make a good team of parents. After all, what does career success mean if we fail in raising a family? We are committed to our children. We spend our leisure time together. I like fishing and I'm fond of tropical fish.
(Due to high demand, customers seeking Johnny's personal touch must make appointments in advance. But he admits he always tries to fit in actors Paramita Rusady, Ira Wibowo, singer Katon and several ministers' wives who have became his close friends.)
Q: What are the hairstyle trends for 1998?
A: Women's hair will be longer than 1997. There will be layers, but set lower, not full layers, to make the hair more voluminous. Women will continue to dye their hair, but with stronger colors, like bright red or brown. Crewcut will still dominate men's style. Men will also seek Tin-Tin, or square styles.
Q: Why do Indonesians always lag behind Singaporeans or Hong Kongers in adopting new hairstyles?
A: Singapore is the window of Southeast Asia, so people there adapt to new trends faster. The same goes for Hong Kong. But in expertise, Indonesian beauticians and hairstylists are just as competitive. Indonesians are not blind trend followers. We select what is appropriate for us.
I remember in the 1980s, when the gaudy punk-rock style went global, Indonesians adopted soft punk -- they did trim their hair in the punk-rock style, but without the various accessories. Their appearance was much more "polite".