Education
General Session
Inspiration awaits at the Phenix Rodeo Round Up National Convention. Learn about the topics that are shaping the beauty industry. Gain the latest information on professional trends and learn about the most current in best practices specific to operating suites. Gain actionable insights through our guest speakers and the Phenix corporate team. Explore every aspect of the salon suites business including development ideas, strategies for growth, opportunities to increase revenues, and unique options for networking. Our unique, personal–based approach creates the ultimate experience to help every beauty brand, franchisee and salon professional thrive in the fast-moving salon suite space.
Presenters
Gina Rivera
Founder & Beauty Expert, Phenix Salon Suites
Gina Rivera is the Founder of Phenix Salon Suites and a globally recognized beauty expert. Her family history is steadfast in the beauty industry dating back to 1929 with 27 beauty professionals in her family consisting primarily of hairstylists and barbers. Gina opened her location in 2007 and franchised the concept across the United States in 2012. Today, there are over 430 locations in the United States and the UK where over 15,000 Lifestyle Professionals operate their businesses, including hairstylists, aestheticians, barbers, nail technicians, lash and brow artists, tattoo artists, massage therapists, and more. Expansion continues in the United States with development underway in countries such as Sweden, Japan, Spain, and several others. In 2018, Gina curated her own colour line, COLOURS By Gina. It’s a unique line consisting of 60 shades making it perfect for the independent stylist who doesn’t have the space or revenue stream to carry the usual brands of more than 120+ colour combinations. Gina also created Gina’s Platform; a free business app used by Professionals to manage their businesses from the ease of their phones. The app includes touchless payment processing, easy client notifications, product and revenue tracking, advanced booking options, and trending beauty education. Gina’s latest venture is the launch of XOXO Gina, an exclusive collection of lip crayons, make up and wellness products designed to enhance beauty and health. XOXO Gina was recently featured in US Weekly’s Hollywood’s Favorite Products. At the root of her success, she is a hairstylist with over 30 years working behind the chair. Gina also contributes to her position in the beauty world as a relevant social media influencer with approximately 236,000 followers on TikTok (@beautyexpertginarivera) and more than one million global followers in total inspiring lifestyle professionals around the world. She has appeared on multiple TV shows, such as Extra, and was a featured guest on the Emmy award-winning how UNDERCOVER BOSS. She is regularly seen at red carpet events such as the Grammys and the Coachella Music Festival.
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Jason Rivera
Co-Founder, Phenix Salon Suites, Chairman of Phenix 1929 Holdings
Jason Rivera is the Chair of Phenix 1929 Holdings, LLC, the parent company of Phenix Salon Suites Franchising LLC and Phenix Company Store LLC. Rivera co-founded Phenix Salon Suites Franchising in 2007 with his wife, Gina Rivera, who is the Founder of Phenix Salon Suites. With over 25 years of experience in leadership roles, strategic planning, marketing expertise, and executive management positions, he has a strong background in various aspects of business. As the former CEO of Phenix 1929 Holdings, LLC, Rivera oversaw the company’s activities in consulting, sales, marketing, corporate alliances, finances, and strategic partnerships. He continues to contribute to the company’s global expansion plans and develops solutions for corporate challenges with the current CEO and Executive Team. Rivera regularly communicates the company’s strategy and vision to customers, franchise partners, and shareholders. Under his leadership, Phenix Salon Suites has received numerous industry and franchising awards, including being named to Entrepreneur magazine’s Top 500 Franchise list ten times and their Top 25 Franchise list in 2018. The company currently operates over 400 locations with more than 15,000 Beauty Professionals working in Phenix Salon Suites locations. Rivera currently is CEO of XOXO Gina, LLC, a direct sales makeup company founded by his wife Gina Rivera, and CEO of Colours by Gina LLC, a professional hair color line also founded by his wife Gina Rivera. In addition to his business endeavors, Rivera has a background in sports, having been a former Olympic hopeful in Judo. He lived for four years as a full-time resident athlete at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. After retiring from competition, he served on an elected 10-person Board of Directors for the Olympic National Governing Body, USA Judo, during which the organization captured its first-ever United States Olympic Gold Medal in the sport at the London Olympic Games. He also coached high school wrestling from 2003 to 2008, served as a USA Judo National Team Coach from 2008 to 2012, and coached Pop Warner Football from 2012 to 2015, leading his team to the National Pop Warner Championships at the ESPN Sports Complex located in Disney World. Rivera graduated from the University of Colorado, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration.
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Brian Kelley
CEO, Phenix Salon Suites
Brian Kelley joined Phenix Salon Suites headquartered in San Diego, CA in 2019 as president & COO in February 2019. In 2021, Brian was promoted to CEO. Since joining Phenix, the company has sold 274 franchise licenses throughout the U.S. and 83 internationally while opening 190 locations including the brand’s first 5 international location in the UK. Under Brian’s direction, the company acquired & developed a total of 38 Phenix locations across multiple states. Prior to joining Phenix, Kelley served as the managing partner of a restaurant group that owned over 100 restaurants in multiple concepts including Hardee’s, Jersey Mike’s, Blaze Pizza, and Donovan’s Steak & Chophouse with locations in the northeast, southeast, Texas and California. Previous experience includes 12 years in corporate and merchant banking positions with companies such as Citicorp, GE Capital and Atherton Capital specializing in the restaurant, petroleum and automotive industries. Kelley received a BA in Business Economics from Brown University, Providence, RI and a MBA from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Over the years, Brian has been involved with various local charities including the SD Sports Medicine Foundation, SD Sports Counsel, La Jolla Youth Soccer (coach), the Nicholas Conor Institute (Faster Cures for Childhood Cancer) and served as co-founder of the BraveCort Foundation raising funds for pediatric brain cancer research. Kelley served two times as president of the Hardee’s Independent Franchisee Association. Accomplishments include CKE Franchisee of the Year, Hardee’s Franchisee of the Year, CKE Developer of the Year, CFO of the Year (San Diego Business Journal) and recipient of the coveted William Boddie Founders Award. Brian Kelley and his wife, Andrea, reside in La Jolla, CA. BraveCort Foundation raising funds for pediatric brain cancer research. Kelley served two times as president of the Hardee’s Independent Franchisee Association. Accomplishments include CKE Franchisee of the Year, Hardee’s Franchisee of the Year, CKE Developer of the Year, CFO of the Year (San Diego Business Journal) and recipient of the coveted William Boddie Founders Award. Brian Kelley and his wife, Andrea, reside in La Jolla, CA.
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Jerry Griffith
Executive Senior Vice President
As Executive Senior Vice President of Phenix Salon Suites, Griffith helps to drive the vision and mission of Phenix Salon Suites at all levels of the company. He works closely with franchisees providing directions on store operation, development and retention. Griffith joined Phenix Salon Suites in 2011 alongside Co-Founders, Gina and Jason Rivera. He later opened multiple franchise locations of his own as well as provided advisement to others. He has been instrumental to developing the processes that are now in place for Phenix Salon Suites and has greatly contributed to the company’s success. Prior to his role with Phenix, Griffith worked as the Regional Manager of Corporate Accounts for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Tennessee.
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Guest Speakers
Michael Benfante
Keynote Speaker
Michael Benfante became a national hero for his actions on September 11, 2001, when he and a co-worker carried a disabled woman in a wheelchair down sixty-eight flights of stairs and out of the World Trade Center North Tower to safety, just minutes before the tower imploded. He is the recipient of a host of honors and international recognition and has testified at a US Senatorial special hearing about his 9/11 experience. Benfante is a 1987 Brown University graduate. He currently lives with his wife and his son in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
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Expert panelists
Engage in a Q&A session with our expert panelist on a wide variety of topics that are relevant to today’s fast moving beauty industry. Panelist discussions are designed to ignite conversation, engage attendees and spark conversation.
Panel One
The Impact of Add-On Services – Thinking Outside of the Box to Increase Revenues
Add on services are one of the most proven methods for ensuring long term revenue as well as suite retention. Today’s beauty world offers many opportunities to increase revenue by offering a range of services from beauty consulting to make up applications. Gain valuable insights from our panelist that can lend to the success of your business.
Expert Panelists to be Announced Soon
Panel Two
Marketing in the Metaverse
Gain expertise from our panelist as they discuss optimizing the Metaverse and its ability to enhance marketing efforts. The Metaverse is quickly becoming the marketing trend to watch as it provides the opportunity for purely digital products: virtual try-ons, avatar offers, online community events, digital stores and more.
Expert Panelists to be Announced Soon
Breakout Sessions
Marketing
Learn the latest techniques and tools available to market a Phenix Salon Suites location. Hear about industry trends and find out what’s resonating with today’s Lifestyle Professional.
Darby Parker
Director of Marketing
As Director of Marketing for Phenix Salon Suites, Darby manages our national digital marketing strategy, creates print and digital materials for Managing Partners to use in their local markets, and provides marketing support as needed. Parker has been with Phenix Salon Suites for three years, however, she has been supporting franchisees for over 10 years in different industries including home services, restaurants, health, wellness, and beauty. She has experience in both marketing and operations which aids in strategy and execution of marketing initiatives.
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DeLaura Scholfield
Director of Franchise Relations
As the Director of Franchise Relations, DeLaura Scholfied joined the Phenix Salon Suites team in 2014. Her early roles with the company included Real Estate and Operations Administrator and Executive Assistant. In her current position, DeLaura works closely with franchisees to ensure successful launches of new stores and continuous success with existing stores in ongoing operations. She also manages the corporate stores in the San Antonio region. Prior to her employment with Phenix Salon Suites, she worked in the mortgage industry as well as has managed multiple salons for various companies.
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Real Estate
Real estate selection is key when it comes to store success as it relates to retention and financial success. Discover what new markets are now available and markets that are being considered. Learn about important aspects of lease negotiation and other real estate related topics that contribute to store success.
Robert Aertker
Director of National Real Estate
Robert Aetker has served as the Director of National Real Estate since Phenix’s inception in 2009. In his role he is responsible for site selection, lease negotiations and broker management. During his time with Phenix he has closed approximately 500 deals and continues to add to these numbers. Prior to working with Phenix Salon Suites, Aetker developed shopping centers in Colorado with a focus on Colorado Springs.
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Gina’s Platform & Suite Management System
Streamline the daily operations of managing a Phenix location with the features available through Gina’s Platform and the Suite Management System. Learn how to leverage these important tools to increase efficiency and enhance lead generation.
Noelle Sim
Director of Projects
Noelle has been with Phenix Salon Suites since 2019. As the Director of Projects, her primary focus has been to assist onboarding new franchisees to Gina’s Platform app. She also provides support to the real estate team and contributes her time to various projects throughout the company. Before joining Phenix, her past life included being a flight attendant for United Airlines and a Senior Paralegal in the Law and Compliance Department for Discover Card Services.
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Calvin Proulx
VP of Finance & Director of Corporate Stores
As the VP of Finance & Director of Corporate Stores, Calvin Proulx is responsible for the management of over 40 corporate stores in multiple states included in the Phenix Salon Suites portfolio. His responsibilities include the oversight of daily operations as well as budget and staff management of the locations. Prior to working with Phenix Salon Suites, Proulx at Paradigm from 2010-2018 running 135+ restaurants in multiple states. In January 2023, Proulx accepted a position with Phenix Salon Suites to oversee 10 newly acquired locations.
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Construction
Making the right decisions during the construction phase of building a Phenix Salon Suites locations is one of the key factors that contributes to ensuring the end products in beautiful and financially on budget. Learn about how to avoid various pitfalls while optimizing your budget in this important presentation.
Barbara Williamson
Construction Project Manager
Barbara Williamson is a seasoned Construction Project Manager who joined the Phenix team in 2019. Her responsibilities with Phenix include assisting franchisees through the construction build-out process from lease signing to opening. In addition, she assists franchisees with updates and remodels to existing locations and is responsible for maintaining files for each project which can be referenced for future work. Prior to Phenix, Williamson served as the Director of Facilities and Construction for 110 Hardee’s locations under the Paradigm Investment Group. Before Hardees she worked as a Project Superintendent in commercial construction building churches and church related facilities with Cosco & Associates. Williamson also worked for several years on various commercial construction opportunities throughout Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Michigan.
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Travis Little, Sr.
Construction Project Manager
Travis Little joined the Phenix team as the Senior Construction Project Manager in 2021. In his role he is responsible for working with architectural firms and plans, overseeing pre-construction and construction, vendor relations, landlord and tenant relations, and budget management. Prior to his work at Phenix, Little was the President of Apogee Consulting firm for six years where he provided professional consulting for large and small construction projects. Since 2003, Little has held multiple roles in the construction industry ranging from tradesman to Superintendent and Project Manager.
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Retail Sales & Retention
The ability for a Lifestyle Professional to have a solid and strong revenue stream is a key component when it comes to operating a successful store. Retail sales have been known to increase monthly revenues by as much as 30%. Learn about the new programs and investments being made by Phenix Salon Suites to ensure that Lifestyle Professionals have the proper tools and training available to increase their revenues with retail sales.
Brian Kelley
CEO, Phenix Salon Suites
Brian Kelley joined Phenix Salon Suites headquartered in San Diego, CA in 2019 as president & COO in February 2019. In 2021, Brian was promoted to CEO. Since joining Phenix, the company has sold 274 franchise licenses throughout the U.S. and 83 internationally while opening 190 locations including the brand’s first 5 international location in the UK. Under Brian’s direction, the company acquired & developed a total of 38 Phenix locations across multiple states. Prior to joining Phenix, Kelley served as the managing partner of a restaurant group that owned over 100 restaurants in multiple concepts including Hardee’s, Jersey Mike’s, Blaze Pizza, and Donovan’s Steak & Chophouse with locations in the northeast, southeast, Texas and California. Previous experience includes 12 years in corporate and merchant banking positions with companies such as Citicorp, GE Capital and Atherton Capital specializing in the restaurant, petroleum and automotive industries. Kelley received a BA in Business Economics from Brown University, Providence, RI and a MBA from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Over the years, Brian has been involved with various local charities including the SD Sports Medicine Foundation, SD Sports Counsel, La Jolla Youth Soccer (coach), the Nicholas Conor Institute (Faster Cures for Childhood Cancer) and served as co-founder of the BraveCort Foundation raising funds for pediatric brain cancer research. Kelley served two times as president of the Hardee’s Independent Franchisee Association. Accomplishments include CKE Franchisee of the Year, Hardee’s Franchisee of the Year, CKE Developer of the Year, CFO of the Year (San Diego Business Journal) and recipient of the coveted William Boddie Founders Award. Brian Kelley and his wife, Andrea, reside in La Jolla, CA. BraveCort Foundation raising funds for pediatric brain cancer research. Kelley served two times as president of the Hardee’s Independent Franchisee Association. Accomplishments include CKE Franchisee of the Year, Hardee’s Franchisee of the Year, CKE Developer of the Year, CFO of the Year (San Diego Business Journal) and recipient of the coveted William Boddie Founders Award. Brian Kelley and his wife, Andrea, reside in La Jolla, CA.
More informationJerry Griffith
Executive Senior Vice President
As Executive Senior Vice President of Phenix Salon Suites, Griffith helps to drive the vision and mission of Phenix Salon Suites at all levels of the company. He works closely with franchisees providing directions on store operation, development and retention. Griffith joined Phenix Salon Suites in 2011 alongside Co-Founders, Gina and Jason Rivera. He later opened multiple franchise locations of his own as well as provided advisement to others. He has been instrumental to developing the processes that are now in place for Phenix Salon Suites and has greatly contributed to the company’s success. Prior to his role with Phenix, Griffith worked as the Regional Manager of Corporate Accounts for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Tennessee.
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National Director of Retail Sales
As National Director of Retail Sales, Peneschi is responsible for assisting salon professionals across the Phenix Salon Suites portfolio of stores with setting up their own retail businesses. As part of the role, he also helps Phenix Lifestyle Professionals to optimize the many relationships that Phenix Salon Suites has with various brands. He has held multiple roles in the company starting at the grassroots level as a receptionist and later began to manage locations. As Peneschi’s career with Phenix continued he held multiple positions such as Regional Operations Director and VP of Operations.
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