Paul DiGrigoli
began his career in the hair industry after graduating from Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) in 1982 with a certificate in Cosmetology. Throughout the eighties and early nineties, Paul received advanced education and training in California, New York, London, and Scotland under such esteemed professionals as Vidal Sassoon and Rita Rusk.

Paul opened his first salon, New York New York Hair Salons, in 1986. The next year, he was named Cosmetologist of the Year by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in 1988 became a Regional Designer for Rusk. Paul’s reputation as a talented hairdresser and entrepreneur quickly grew, and by 1992 he was elected State Stylist Director of Massachusetts. He held the position for two years, during which he trained the Massachusetts Premier Design Team – a group of 30 master stylists – on how to teach the latest in hairstyles and trends. As a member of the Greater Springfield Cosmetology Association he served as Trustee, Chairman of Education, and Vice President. In 1993, Paul became an Instructor/Trainer for Cosmetology Business America. That same year, he received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Connecticut Cosmetology Association.

Paul’s passion for education is evidenced by his willingness to donate his time to speak at area schools and colleges to help ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in future business professionals. He is an active Advisory Board member at STCC, the University of Massachusetts, and Bay Path College. His articles on education and business leadership have been published in Salon Today, American Salon, and Modern Salon magazines.

Paul is a visionary; his passion and persistence are the main drives that have helped him to achieve significant goals. Today, he is the owner and president of DiGrigoli Salons, Inc., DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology, and DiGrigoli Advanced Academy. His success in business has been recognized with multiple awards, including: Springfield Chamber of Commerce Super 60 – Recognition of Economic Impact (2001), National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship – Entrepreneur of the Year (2001), Valley Business Outlook – Business Person of the Month (2003), Valley Advocate Readers’ Poll – Best Hair Salon in the Valley (2003), and Valley Advocate Readers’ Poll – Best Hair Salon in Springfield (2005).  Local business media outlets, including BusinessWest Magazine and Western Mass Business Woman Magazine, have featured multiple stories on Paul’s successes as a business leader.

With more than two decades in the cosmetology industry, Paul DiGrigoli is a highly skilled and innovative business leader. He has a wealth of experience in building and maintaining a salon clientele, as well as in attracting and retaining motivated staff. This critical business knowledge has now been translated into a series of seminars, which Paul shares at speaking engagements across the country. In addition to offering in-salon training on a smaller scale, he also conducts presentations nationally to large audiences for International Beauty Shows, Cosmetology Business America, and Beauty Systems Group.