The Company

HairDirections is a Wisconsin-based corporation that was created to provide exceptional professional education and consulting services for Salons, Spas, and Cosmetology Schools.  The company was founded in 2003 and has since taught classes around the country in areas such as Milwaukee, Madison, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Atlanta. Our staff has substantial businesses development and marketing experience, and their efforts have directly yielded millions of dollars in revenue for small businesses.  We have a unique and powerful blend of practical experience in nearly every aspect of the cosmetology industry, spanning education, technical, business, management, marketing, and ownership/operations expertise. HairDirections also has in-house writing and publication, graphic design, web site development and maintenance, and analysis capabilities.  Our staff is truly innovative with a long history of leadership and hands-on success in the cosmetology industry. 

The Owners

HairDirections is privately owned by Dan Gramer and Kristin Allison: 

Kristin Allison, Education Director and Co-Owner is a leader in the cosmetology industry.  Her diverse cosmetology background and her over 12 years of experience successfully managing all aspects of salons and spas makes her an invaluable HairDirections asset.  She founded and continues to own Four Seasons Salon & Day Spa and HairDirections. She also created the nationally accredited Four Seasons Cosmetology School and served as the school's Lead Instructor and President for over 8 years before selling this division of her company to Paul Mitchell the School in 2009.  The success and rapid growth of her businesses are a direct result of her strong leadership and management skills.  She is also one of the friendliest people you will meet.   

Kristin has been hired by stylists across the US to provide advanced education in areas such hair color, hair cutting, hair extensions, spa services, and business development and operations. She pioneered the HairDirections education method to help people better understand and retain the material taught during her classes.  Kristin is a dynamic speaker who believes that every topic can be taught in a fun, interesting, and effective manner.

She has coordinated and lead several classes and served as a professional educator for Kadus, Wella, Dome, and HairDirections.  She was recently invited by Thomas Delmar Learning to serve as a returning reviewer for the Milady Standard cosmetology textbook, and has been responsible for the preparation and execution of professional hair shows and photo-shoots and developed training DVD’s. Kristin has also designed the layout for salons, spas, and cosmetology schools, and has been responsible for structuring their operations.  She currently holds Wisconsin State Managers and Instructors licenses, and has received advanced training in coloring, cutting, perming, hair extensions, nail enhancements, sugaring, teaching concepts, and business and leadership methods. 

Dan Gramer, HairDirections President and Co-Owner worked as a rocket propulsion engineer (aka rocket scientist) with ORBITEC for over a decade, where he innovated, developed, and managed new technologies for NASA and the Department of Defense.  He has been responsible for budgets of several million dollars, and pioneered multiple innovations from conception to reality. He discovered that his strong technical background and the methods he developed in the corporate engineering world directly translate into success in the cosmetology industry.

He has a passion for helping individuals and businesses in the cosmetology industry thrive. As the President of HairDirections, he is very hands-on and ensures that all products and services that the company delivers adhere to a high standard of excellence.  

Dan served as a Board Member and Vice President of the nationally accredited Four Seasons Cosmetology School for 8 years before it was sold to Paul Mitchell the School in 2009.  He played an integral role in nearly every facet of the school’s growth and operations, creating several innovative systems and methods that resulted in rapid expansion of the business.  Dan was also directly responsible for the school’s budgeting, information technology, marketing and advertising, and  writing and publishing departments.   

Dan continues to serve as the Vice President of Four Seasons Salon & Day Spa.  Together with Kristin Allison, they established and refined several systems that have a proven track record of success in salons and spas.   

Dan’s work and innovations have been featured several times in nationally distributed publications.  He has received numerous national awards from AIAA, and was also featured in the AIAA Young Professional Newsletter.  Dan has been granted four patents, has over 50 publications on a variety of topics, and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has also received continuing education in management, business, and technical topics related to both engineering and cosmetology.