Antoinette Beenders is Aveda’s creative director. She has been for years and continues to grow the Aveda name with her strong belief in education and perfection. She was premiered in the latest issue of Behind The Chair on paper. For those of you who aren’t aware of this magazine, it’s a must-have if you are in the beauty industry.
There is an intimate article about her start in life as a hair dresser, emphasizing that her journey was not easy and it took determination and hard work to get where she is today. She never accepted ‘no,’ and never accepted anything less than perfect. As a young Dutch woman she moved to London without knowing how to speak English. Not really having a plan other than to surround herself with successful people, she achieved her goal and worked with industry leaders. Later, becoming a platform artist and accepting a position from the owner of Aveda.
Her decision to accept this job from Aveda didn’t come easy, but she was ready to make a name for herself and be a part of world that she was less familiar with. This article was inspirational for me as a student at Cinta Aveda institute. I take pride in knowing that Ms. Beenders worked so hard to get where she is now, she’s a perfectionist, and created an Aveda curriculum that ensures haircuts to be articulate and mindful.
I connected with her, because there was a point in her career where she didn’t get to spend any time with her husband. She decided that life’s too short to not spend it with the people you love, so her husband goes everywhere she does so they can spend as much time as possible together even on business trips. I admire this thoughtfulness, because it is difficult to spend time with the people I love, and I haven’t even graduated school yet. Her success is inspiring and I’m proud to be a part of the Aveda family.