Brenda started doing her friends’ hair in middle school, and one of those friends claims it’s still the best haircut she’s ever had! Now, after 28 years as a stylist at Robert of Philadelphia, that natural talent, combined with tons of experience, has made her one of the salon’s most influential leaders.
Nurturing, creative, and able to find humor in anything, Diana’s been with the company for 41 years and is the very soul of the ROP family. Because she worked closely with both his parents, Robert believes Diana carries on his father’s talent and his mother’s heart, and, for her part, Diana is grateful to ROP for taking her in like family and giving her a passion for hairstyling.
Always ahead of the curve and carving out a path for others, Kristie has been a stylist at ROP for 18 years and is both a giver and a natural leader. Though she grew up hanging out in her mom’s hair salon, cutting her own bangs when she was bored, her mother tried to steer her away from a career in hair, due to the lack of benefits.
A role model for healthy, balanced living, McKenzie’s strength, energy, and confidence make her an inspiring leader. She originally wanted to be a photographer, but when she discovered cosmetology after high school, it spoke to both her love of art and her passion for self-care. After 8 years at ROP, McKenzie’s versatility shines as she expertly executes every type of hair service, gladly working long hours because she truly loves what she does.
With her warm smile and calm demeanor, Nikki creates a relaxing atmosphere wherever she goes. After discovering her talent for hair during a high school vocational program, she’s now been part of the ROP “family” for 23 years, where she thrives on the team vibes and opportunities for constant learning.
Dedicated, conscientious, and prepared for anything, Jade always goes above and beyond for both her family and for ROP (which she considers her second family). In other words, she’s the ideal person to have on your team for an apocalypse. Though she’d planned to go into nursing, she got a job as a salon receptionist during high school and, seeing how fun it looked, enrolled in cosmetology school and never looked back.
In her youth, Paula aspired to be an architect, but after 41 years as a hairstylist, she’s proud to call herself an “architect of hair.” Paula was one of Robert Sr.’s “original angels” and when she left in 2005 for familial reasons, he predicted she’d be back. He was right. After 15 years doing hair (and real estate) in Ohio, Paula returned to her absolute favorite workplace and has since continued to carry the torch for everything ROP stands for, from its charity work to its sense of community.
Sweet and down to earth, Karissa knew she wanted to be a hairstylist from the age of 7, but after high school, she took up waitressing instead. Then she began working at ROP’s front desk and couldn’t stand to sit back and watch the other stylists have all the fun, so she finally enrolled in hair school. Now, ten years later, she’s not only a master stylist who can do it all, but she’s also the heart and soul of the ROP mindset.
A huge champion for what ROP is all about, that welcoming smile on Virginia’s face is truly genuine because there’s no place she’d rather be than in the salon making people feel beautiful. She’s loved doing hair since childhood when she gave all her Barbies pixie cuts, and now, after 20 years at Robert of Philadelphia, she’s a multi-talented hairstylist who does it all but still loves doing short, edgy, haircuts.
An artist to his very core, Pascal grew up in Paris collecting fashion magazines and longing to lend his creativity to that world. He found his way in by becoming a hairstylist and quickly immersed himself in a career of photo shoots and supermodels, even working as a fashion editor for Elle magazine.
Honest and authentic, Jennifer has a knack for building trust with clients and making them feel comfortable. Though she originally planned to study dermatology , she discovered her love and talent for hairstyling during a hiatus from college and immediately enrolled herself in cosmetology school. After a year and a half at ROP, Jennifer has fallen in love with the sense of community it provides and the ability to make a real difference in her clients’ lives.
Diligent and determined, Dilma wanted to work at ROP so badly, she refused to give up even though she’d applied repeatedly, only to be turned away. When she began helping out around the salon without getting paid, Robert finally realized what an asset she was and hired her on the spot. Dilma has since proved herself to be one of their most talented, versatile, and hardworking stylists.
Possessing unusual humility for someone so experienced and talented, Ludby is new to ROP, but definitely not new to hair. He began training in Cuba when he was fifteen and continued his education in the U.S. under various master stylists, turning their ideas into his own unique trendsetting style. Eventually, he opened his own salon in New York and ran that for 6 years before moving to Florida for a change of pace (and weather).
Affable, charming, and filled with a wealth of knowledge about anything and everything, Chris will automatically feel like a dear friend, and we can guarantee you’ll never be bored in his chair. Chris studied history in college but, unsurprisingly, found that history jobs were scarce. So he did some backpacking and soul-searching, which led him to enter hair school— in part because he’d always enjoyed working with and around women.
Described by Robert as a “role model for future generations,” Allie’s gentle yet responsible nature makes her both an excellent mentor and stylist. As a child, she watched a hairstylist cut her grandparents’s hair, and the experience sparked a deep-rooted passion within her. Determined to follow this passion, she overcame financial obstacles to attend cosmetology school at 26, and once she graduated, there was no stopping her.
An old soul with an infectious laugh and a gift for relating to people of all ages, Krista entered hair school at the suggestion of her mother. It made sense, considering the hair salon was Krista’s favorite place to go as a child; she even liked to sweep the floors. She rose quickly after joining the ROP team due to a combination of raw natural talent and leadership qualities.
Confident, honest and unafraid to “tell it like it is,” Magaly hails from a family of barbers, beauticians, and hairstylists, so it’s no surprise she was drawn to the industry. She entered beauty school at 19 in Puerto Rico and has now been doing hair for a total of 42 years, the last 24 of which have been at ROP.
Both a nature lover and a people person, Lisa is equally happy hiking up a mountain, as she is developing relationships with her clients— many of whom she’s known since starting at ROP in 1987. As one of ROP’s first employees and Robert Sr’s “original angels,” Lisa’s gentle caring presence was highly influential in shaping the welcoming culture of the company.
An artistic child, Brittany dreamt of becoming an art teacher, but when she began channeling her creativity into hair and makeup, she realized that hairstyling is also an artform– and one that makes people feel good and beautiful. Winning! Now, after 15 years at ROP, she’s a highly artistic precision haircutter and an integral part of the team. Known for dedication, hard work, and building camaraderie, Brittany makes a difference in all the best ways.
When Hurricane Irma devastated Sara’s hometown of Immokalee in 2017, her cosmetology college formed an affiliation with Robert of Philadelphia to distribute emergency supplies to the area. Instrumental in helping that cause, Sara’s fortitude and kindness landed her a job at ROP, and after 6 years, she’s become the glue that holds the company together.
A gentle laid-back soul with a knack for making clients feel at home, David worked in the corporate world for a while, before realizing it really wasn’t his style and instead enrolling in cosmetology school.
Uplifting, upbeat, and always smiling, Jazmin feels fortunate that she knew what she wanted from the get-go. Having always loved hair and makeup, being a stylist was a perfect fit because she longed to do “something creative that helps people.” At ROP, Jazmin loves being an all-rounder, but she has a special affinity for haircutting and blow drying. Fluent in Spanish, Jazmin hopes to fill a need for Spanish-speaking clients and make them feel comfortable.
Full of heart and loyalty, Malinda has been a nail technician with Robert of Philadelphia for an impressive 37 years and is like a mother to all of the staff. When she first started, Malinda lacked confidence, but the encouraging and comforting atmosphere at the salon helped her believe in herself and grow into her role. Now, Malinda not only handles all of the nail services but also helps run the salon.
Growing up, Yensi loved everything about going to the salon, so after trying college and realizing it wasn’t for her, she knew exactly what she wanted to do: hair! Since starting her training over a year ago, Yensi’s learned to be patient (both with hair and with people), and she loves the friendly and supportive nature of the ROP “family.”
Both nurturing and highly competent, Velouse originally wanted to be a nurse, but when nursing school moved a little too slowly, she switched to hairstyling. “Why not? I’ve been doing my siblings’ hair for years.” Now, after almost 2 years at ROP, she’s still falling in love with the job because it allows her to express her creativity and make people feel good about themselves.
As a third-generation stylist who grew up in salons, Samantha was destined to follow in her mom’s and grandma’s footsteps. She’s loved doing hair since she was a little kid, though cutting off her best friend’s braid while playing “hairdresser” wasn’t one of her finer moments. Since landing her dream job at ROP, she’s learned a lot about hard work, dedication, repetition, and…. repetition.
Since her aunt was a stylist, Hannah grew up in the world of hairdressing and realized her passion for styling while experimenting on her friends’ hair during dance class. After a year at ROP, she’s learned to appreciate the emotional connection people have with their hair. “A dramatic change in hair can reset someone’s whole view on life and I love that I can help people in that way.”
A devoted mother with a great heart, Yeli always dreamt of becoming a stylist. She began her education in Venezuela, but when she moved to the U.S. at 24, she had to jump over the extra hurdles of learning English and getting her GED. Fortunately, once she got into hair school on a scholarship, her natural talent helped her master everything with ease.
