John Paul DeJoria’s inspirational rags-to-riches success story exemplifies the American Dream. He has struggled against the odds not only to achieve success, but to share his success with others.

After high school and service with honors in the U.S. Navy, John Paul did whatever it took to make ends meet—from selling encyclopedias and working as a janitor to pumping gasoline. He was even homeless at one time, but he didn’t give up and collected bottles to stay afloat. Eventually, John Paul took his talents to several hair care and cosmetic companies before becoming an independent consultant. That’s when he teamed up with his friend Paul Mitchell to launch John Paul Mitchell Systems.

As a businessman, environmentalist and philanthropist, John Paul has donated his time, money and expertise to helping others. John Paul—along with Brad Pitt, Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela—is a patron of Mineseeker, a non-profit organization dedicated to seeking solutions to the worldwide problem of landmines. In 2006, he was appointed Admiral by the Governer of Texas, and he received the Citizen of the Year Dolphin Award from The Malibu Times. John Paul was also honored with the Sustainability Award for his dedication to environmental preservation at Fashion Group International’s 25th annual Night of Stars event and was inducted as a lifetime member into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in honor of his journey to overcome humble beginnings to achieve success.

Angus Mitchell was born into the legacy of late legendary hairstylist Paul Mitchell. As the son of the hair fashion icon, Angus’ unique upbringing in the hair industry exposed him to the same passion that inspired his father, thus leading him to eventually fulfill his destiny in the first family of hair. Educated at Vidal Sassoon, Angus has been able to combine their legendary precision technique with the free creative expression Paul Mitchell encourages to craft his own signature style. Angus currently travels the world for hair events on behalf of Paul Mitchell. He makes his home in Los Angeles where he has forged his own professional identity with his Angus M creative studio and Beverly Hills salon. In both his work with Paul Mitchell and Angus M, Angus takes advantage of every creative outlet that affords him hands-on opportunities with all aspects of the beauty industry. As an educator, Angus is dedicated to keeping the excitement in the business for the next generation of professionals, as well as for the ones that have made Paul Mitchell what it is today.