As a seasoned competitor in the Contessa Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards, Campanaro says it’s not about winning, but pushing boundaries.

“Any time you push yourself, you’re improving your skills,” he says. “Competition gives me a reason to push myself to the next level.” After winning Elite Master Hairstylist of the Year in 2003, Campanaro’s work was seen—and published—around the globe. “One of my staff members found my work in two Russian magazines and then a client found my collection in a Japanese magazine,” he says. “It was written in Japanese and the only thing I could recognize was the spelling of my name. I’ve also seen my work appear in Esthetica and Hairdresser’s Journal and to me that’s an amazing boost of confidence.”

On winning, Campanaro says it isn’t everything as there’s much to be gained from not placing first. “I look at it this way. Every time that I’ve won, I have never learned a darn thing because I felt like I was king of the world,” he says. “Every time I have lost, I can see what went wrong and learn what I could do better next time.”