Before joining the team at Ron King Academy, he was the Director of Education at another barber school in Dallas, as well as a salon owner. Luckily, Christie Gonzales, one of the owners of the academy, introduced him to Ron King (the person and salon) and the city of Austin. In no time, Mr. Leonard had signed on to join us at RKA!

Mr. Leonard has been in the industry for 22 years. From the time he was the neighborhood barber at the age of 13, he has always known that barbering was for him. After falling in love with the industry at an early age, he received his Barber License when he was 21 years old. Since then, he has worked as an educator, platform artist, salon/barbershop owner, and mentor. At RKA, his specialty is teaching the art of fine men’s grooming and great customer service. His students definitely learn to give the clients the total male grooming experience, such as luxury straight razor shaves with hot towels.

As for some exciting news, Baxter of California has just celebrated their 50th Anniversary as a brand. In conjunction with celebrating this monumental achievement, they have decided to launch their first Professional Team of Educators to facilitate introducing the product line on a larger scale to major salons in the male market. Our very own Mr. Leonard has been selected as one of the 16 professional male experts to be part of the Baxter of California National Educator Team to help take Baxter global in a major way! We’re so proud of him!

When we asked him what his advice is for anyone who is interested in getting into the industry, Mr. Leonard said, “Be passionate about serving people. Stay dedicated, diligent, and focused. Always keep learning and improving your craft. Always stay informed about the changing trends. You have to evolve with them.” No one knows barbering quite like him, so it’s great that our students get to learn from him as a mentor in this program.

If you’re into cigars and in the area, Mr. Leonard recommends visiting his favorite place to go, Bobalu Cigar Company. There’s a good chance you might see him there!

Learn more about the barber program at Ron King Academy and . Stay connected with us on and check out our style and beauty inspiration boards on .

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The students are not only learning from Michelle’s passion for color, but they’re learning from her business side too! She has helped open salons from here to the West Coast. these skills, along with her barber experience, ensures that students will receive a vast variety of knowledge.

Michelle’s ideal student is devoted, creative, professional, and wants to cultivate his/her individuality. She’s eager to help each student find their own style and what makes them stand out. Helping students by tapping into their specific learning style whether they’re thinkers, watchers, doers, or feelers to ensure that they succeed, is her biggest focus.

Outside of beauty, Michelle has a passion for helping others. She’s an advocate for ALS, which you might have heard of thanks to all those ice bucket challenges last year. Additionally, when Hurricane Katrina hit, she wanted to find a way to help those in need. What did she do? Michelle put on a fashion show and raised $10,000! This giving spirit and nature can certainly be seen in her teaching style as well, as many of her students point out.

We’re so lucky to have Michelle as one of our educators here at . If you join us, be sure to ask her about her sweet baby, Jaxson for some extra brownie points. To learn more about Ron King Academy and our team, stay connected with us on and check out our style and beauty inspiration boards on !

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