"All through my life I have consistently practiced one life-changing but easily overlooked craft. That is to connect with and use the power of mentors. Since I was 10 years old, I have been mentored by my grandfather, Gideon D. Hill II, on personal and professional success. To this day, I have learned from millionaires, billionaires, celebrities, and high achievers in business, education, philanthropy, film, science, and numerous other industries. The power of mentoring is a secret to success that can be practiced over a simple lunch break. In this series of articles, I will share my conversations with incredible people in and outside of Long Beach so that you can benefit from their advice in both your business and your personal lives."
- A.J. YAGER



A successful entrepreneur, best-selling author, and powerful speaker, Winn has been the owner of hair salons and beauty academies since 1983. He is the founder and co-owner of Paul Mitchell The School, which was ranked by Franchise Times as the 7th fastest growing franchise in the country in 2006. Since 1989, he has traveled extensively around the country, working as an educator and consultant for several industries. A popular speaker, he has worked with literally thousands of businesses, inspiring people to take control of their careers and now he sits down with us to share part of his story and tell us why he loves Long Beach:

Well, I really wanted to live in a loft! I had been living in the OC when I decided to Google “lofts” and one of the first results was Long Beach. We found a loft on the market which was perfect. Within two weeks we moved downtown on 4th and Pine. I’ve always liked the feeling of going out my front door and having restaurants, stores, a gym, and a community feeling that I can walk to. I think LB is an unknown or undiscovered goldmine for people to live.

Since I had a successful school in Provo for years, we won national awards and recognition, but I’m also a speaker and through my travels he heard about me way back in 1990. He then asked me to come in and do presentations and sessions with his team at Paul Mitchell corporate. Eight years ago I partnered with Paul Mitchell and opened our first school in Costa Mesa. He is an incredible guy and he is one of my major mentors for life and business.

Funny you asked, because we have a summit coming up and the theme of the summit is “Recession: What Recession?” We have chosen not to participate in the recession. First of all, it is a mindset, but it doesn’t mean that you stick your head in the sand or pretend the economy hasn’t changed or gas prices haven’t gone up. Yes, those things affect the bottom line and how business operates but, the mindset shift is to be proactive about it and decide that business is “different”, not “bad.” So how are you going to approach it creatively, differently? Businesses around here need to keep embracing each other and work together to succeed!

First of all, people want to always refer to them as secrets, but they aren’t a secret to any of us. There is no secret pill or formula. Number one is people relationships. For me, above celebrity, above power, above perfect location, above funding, marketing, etc. It is relationships. I grew up that way. With eight kids in the family we had to learn that. I got it from mom and dad. I started my company that way. Create a safe, loving, fun environment for people to show their best! I always make relationships a priority still to this day. There is a system to do payroll and there is a system to celebrate victories. For us, it must be fun every single day!