Megan Salinas has built her decade-long career at Andis on a powerful foundation: the art of truly listening to people. Her early days in customer service laid the foundation for her work today as Director of Brand & Integrated Marketing, where she brings together customers, products, and the brand in new ways. Over the years, she’s continued to connect ideas and find opportunities for the brand to better serve its customers. We caught up with Salinas to talk career, creativity, innovation and what’s next for Andis.
What’s your name, title, and role at the company?
I’m Megan Salinas, Director of Brand & Integrated Marketing at Andis Company. I’ve been with Andis for ten years, with roles spanning customer service, customer & sales enablement, and marketing. Today, I oversee brand strategy and integrated marketing, helping connect the dots between our products, our customers, and how Andis shows up in the market.
What is the company’s mission, and how does it drive what you do?
For more than a century, Andis has built tools for people who take their craft seriously. What that means to me is remembering there’s a person at the end of everything we do. A barber building their business. A stylist perfecting their craft. A store associate helping someone choose the right tool. That perspective keeps the people we serve at the center of how I approach marketing.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the beauty and hair care industry?
Interestingly, I didn’t set out to build a career in beauty. My career at Andis actually started in customer service ten years ago, and I think that shaped the marketer I eventually became. I learned the business by talking directly to customers, understanding their questions and hearing what mattered to them. From there, my career evolved through customer & sales enablement and eventually into marketing. I fell in love with the connection between understanding people and figuring out how a brand can serve them better.
Can you walk us through a typical day at work? What’s the first thing you do when you get to the office?
Most mornings start with a plan, and most mornings remind me that marketing has other plans. I usually start by looking at our launches and what needs my attention that day. From there, I can go from discussing a new tool for barbers, to reviewing packaging on a beauty supply shelf, to working through a sales need, all before lunch. My job is really about connecting a lot of moving pieces and making sure they’re all telling the same story.
How do you prioritize your tasks and responsibilities during the day?
I try to prioritize based on what will keep the broader team moving. Sometimes the most important thing I can do isn’t finishing something on my own list. It’s answering a question, making a decision, or removing a roadblock so someone else can keep moving. I also try to separate what is truly urgent from what simply feels urgent. Being busy and moving the right things forward aren’t always the same thing.
What’s your favorite part of the day at work, and why?
My favorite part is when all the pieces start coming together. You start a launch with a product and a lot of blank pages. Then there’s packaging, photography, creative, ecommerce, education, promotions, and sales materials. Eventually, the product you’ve been talking about for months is sitting on a beauty supply shelf, showing up in a barber’s social feed, or being recommended to a customer at the counter. Watching something go from an idea to something real never gets old. It’s also a good reminder to appreciate the work in the middle, because that’s where most of the magic actually happens.
Can you share an exciting project or initiative you’re currently working on?
One project I’m especially excited about is the launch of Zephyr, a new tool we’ve developed in partnership with The Sensory Safe Solution for those with autism or sensory sensitivities in mind. This one felt different because we knew we weren’t just bringing another tool to market. We were helping address a real challenge that professionals, individuals, and families experience during something as everyday as a haircut. It challenged us to think differently about the cutting experience and how we can help make it more comfortable and accessible for more people. To me, that’s innovation at its best: understanding a real need and creating something that can make a meaningful difference for the industry and the people it serves.
What’s your favorite product, and how do you incorporate it into your daily routine?
Did you know Andis also makes animal grooming tools? It might be a little taboo to admit in a beauty magazine that my current favorite is actually from our animal portfolio, but I have to give it to our ProClip 5-in-1 collaboration with Gabriel Feitosa. It’s fun, colorful, and completely different from anything else in our lineup. I love when a product can deliver the performance people expect from Andis while also bringing some personality to the category.
How do you stay inspired and keep the creative energy flowing throughout your workday?
I’m probably most energized by a good question. Why are customers responding this way? What is Sales hearing that Marketing isn’t? What could we be explaining more clearly? What would make this easier for the person standing behind the counter? Be curious, and stay curious. Curiosity keeps you learning, opens you up to perspectives beyond your own, and can take you somewhere you never would have gotten if you started thinking you already had the answer.
How would you describe the company culture, and how does it influence your approach to your work?
There’s a lot of pride that comes with working for a brand that’s been around for more than 100 years, but there’s also responsibility. You don’t get to rely on history alone. The trust behind the Andis name has been earned over generations, and our job is to keep earning it. That influences how I approach my work. I have a deep respect for what got us here, while still being willing to ask what needs to evolve to take us forward. Legacy isn’t just something you inherit. It’s something you’re responsible for building on.
How does collaboration and teamwork factor into your daily routine?
Collaboration is a huge part of my day because the best answer rarely lives within one department. Product management, engineering, sales, customer service, education, and marketing all bring different perspectives to the table. I’ve learned that collaboration isn’t about getting everyone to think the same way. It’s about bringing the right perspectives into the room and being willing to let them make the work better.
Can you share any habits that help you stay balanced, motivated, and productive?
I love a plan, a list, and a good process, probably more than the average person should. Getting things out of my head and organized helps me focus on what matters most. I also get energy from progress. Sometimes solving one problem, checking something off the list, or seeing an idea move one step closer to reality is enough to keep the momentum going.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for the future in the coming year?
I’m excited about what’s next for Andis. We have new products, new ideas, and new ways of connecting with our customers ahead of us. What excites me most is the opportunity to keep evolving how we show up while staying grounded in what people have trusted about Andis for generations. There’s a lot of momentum right now, and I’m excited to help turn that momentum into what comes next.
After a busy day, how do you unwind and recharge?
I’m actually not very good at sitting still, so I tend to unwind by staying busy, just in different ways. I serve on the board of The Inclusive Bean and volunteer with Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, which gives me an opportunity to put my energy toward work that means a lot to me outside of my day job. And when I do slow down, I love spending time with my husband or getting lost in a good book.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part is seeing growth happen. Sometimes that’s watching an idea become something real or seeing a product find its place in the market. Other times, it’s watching someone on my team step into a new challenge and realize they’re capable of more than they thought. I love building things, but I’ve learned that the best things are never built alone. Getting to work alongside talented people, help them grow, and see what we’re able to create together is pretty hard to beat.
