• Created trade show program that included initial launch budget, hiring trade show exhibit manufacturer and show management organization and working with internal eSalon staff to create the firm's show strategy and presence; 20,000 salon professionals visited eSalon.com's trade show booth at two major trade shows.

• Participated with company CEO in developing company PR strategy, interviewed, selected and managed two public relation firms to execute the PR strategy. One firm focused on the financial and Internet community and the other handled trade public relations.

• Supervised the creation of company newsletter for its investors.

Beauty Industry Report Calabasas, CA   1998-Present 
Publisher 

• Started first executive monthly newsletter serving the professional beauty industry.

• Paid subscriptions total over a 1000.

• The BIR has grown to a 12-page publication with a reputation as the "industry information source." CLICK HERE to read past articles by Mike Nave.

• Started Beauty Store Business, a trade magazine that focused on the beauty store and distributor market segments, which were previously ignored by other industry trade magazines. The four-color tabloid sized publication was successfully received and became a profitable publication with strong advertiser support.

• Created second title, Professional Only, with an editorial focus directed toward the business side salons and targeted the growing in-store salon category.

• In addition to role as publisher, wrote a regular article and actively sold advertising.

• Successfully sold both magazines to Creative Age Publications In 1998.

Mercury Distributing Company, Inc., Chatsworth, CA 1960 - 1997
President and CEO

• Successfully operated company after occupying various positions with the firm. During the period as CEO, the company operated profitably from 1976 to 1990 and from 1992 to 1997. During tenure as CEO, the company sales revenue expanded from $5 million to a high point of $35 million. Successfully sold company in 1997.
  Positions held:

  • President and CEO   1976 to 1997

  • VP Sales & Marketing 1971 to 1976

  • Operations Manager 1968 to 1971

• Accomplishments

  • Sales and Marketing

    • Expanded customer base from servicing salon market to include over-the-counter beauty stores and accounts in the mass retail market, such as chain and independent drugstores.

    • Negotiated exclusive re-distribution contracts with major manufacturers, including Redmond, Alberto Culver, Infusium by Clairol and Dermert & Daughtey to exclusively represent their lines to major retailers in the 13 Western states. As a result, Mercury Distributing became one of the largest beauty products distributors in the west by opening and servicing every major retailer in drug, grocery, mass merchandisers and warehouse clubs.

    • Secured extensive shelf space in major retailers through development of "Professional Beauty Product Departments" based on display Planograms, resulting in increase product presence at shelf and expanded sales revenues.

    • Development sales programs to service over-the-counter beauty stores that resulted in firm becoming one of the nation's largest re-distributors of beauty products to the OTC beauty store market.

    • Established three sales divisions: independent sales reps, food brokers, and company sales staff consisting of inside telemarketing sales reps and outside field sales reps maximizing sales on a cost efficient basis.

    • Acquired three distributing companies that added increased sales and customer base. 

  • Operations

    • Built Mercury organization from 15 employees to 140 to support company growth. 

    • Developed and implemented annual operating budget. 

    • Negotiated with banks for credit lines exceeding $3 million that provided necessary working capital to support 15 years of strong sales revenue growth.

    • Successfully managed company turn-around situation, through downsizing and cost containment, to bring the firm back to operating profitably. 

    • Created an automated gravity-flow warehouse and data processing department using at the time a sophisticated HP-70 System to track more than 4000 accounts, 300 vendors and 5000 SKU's with a 96% service level.

    • Instituted in-house graphic department using desktop publishing to produce low-cost sales materials and sales catalog that generated co-op advertising revenues making it a significant profit center.

Education

BS in Business Administration; University of California at Berkley, CA