When Terri Taricco isn't busy heading up the Hot Tools brand at the superluxe Helen of Troy headquarters in El Paso, Texas, you might catch her winding up her Harley-Davidson V-Rod on Interstate 10, rock-crawling in her red ladybug jeep along Tabasco Twister trail, or taking command of the tennis court or shooting range - much to the chagrin of her opponents.
Taricco, who's been a licensed cosmetologist since 1984 (and still looks young enough to have been born that same year), is a fashionista at heart, an adventuress to her core, and one of the most creative marketing directors in the pro-beauty industry. Interacting with Taricco about work is a right-brain, left-brain experience:
She coos about the pink titanium finish of the new Hot Tools Titanium 3 barrel iron and how it can create the latest runway trends, then slips into techno-speak to extol the virtues of nanoceramic barrel coatings and why a titanium alloy coating is a fabulous heat conductor.
"Stylists are creative by nature and love things that speak to their passions," smiles Taricco. "But every styling tool has to be much more than a mere bauble. Beauty pros have high expectations about the tools they use and rightfully so. Hot Tools is the leading brand in the pro-beauty industry; it's my job to ensure that we maintain this top position."
How did this gutsy femme go from impoverished, single mom to her current mega-leadership position? In her youth, Taricco did a stint in the Air Force before becoming a full-service stylist. She owned two salons and also had two gorgeous daughters along the way. Exploring her passion for marketing, Taricco became involved with sales and marketing for beauty distributors. Always up for an haute challenge, she eventually took on the hefty role of sales director for the Professional Beauty Association. Since her quantum leap to the Helen of Troy Professional division in 2004, she has been doing what she does best – combining savvy knowledge with a saucy edge. (HotTools.com)
(Note: For Taricco, pro-beauty is a family affair. Her oldest daughter, Stephanie, is a BSG Salon Consultant in Arizona; youngest daughter Elyse is a stylist and educator in Massachusetts.)
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