Even for iconic brands, the cracks eventually show.
Over the past year, Milady, a company that helped shape beauty education for nearly a century, has undergone a dramatic restructuring that many employees say signals the slow dismantling of the brand they once knew.
First, the Product organization was absorbed into the larger Cengage structure. Then Marketing followed. And immediately after the close of the fiscal year, the next blow landed: the Account Management team was eliminated.
Not restructured. Eliminated.
Employees were reportedly told they could “reapply” for newly created roles, a move that many viewed as deeply disrespectful after years of service and relationship-building. Instead of accepting the uncertainty, many chose to walk away entirely.
And honestly? Good for them.
What’s happening isn’t just corporate streamlining. It’s another example of a legacy company losing the very people, culture, and institutional knowledge that made it successful in the first place. The pursuit of operational efficiency and consolidation has slowly hollowed out once-thriving business units, replacing identity and loyalty with spreadsheets and restructuring plans.
No one is safe anymore!!