Introducing Daymaker

A Brand-Defining Opportunity for Tricoci Salons

The Project:
Daymaker is a heartfelt feature documentary, short-form YouTube series, and podcast that celebrates Mario Tricoci’s legacy — and the transformative power of beauty to uplift, empower, and connect. Told through cinematic storytelling and intimate moments, the project honors the values that built the Tricoci brand: excellence, artistry, generosity, and human connection.

The initiative also establishes an independent scholarship fund in Mario & Cheryl’s name, creating a lasting tribute to their life’s work while investing in the next generation of beauty professionals.

The Opportunity:
As the exclusive presenting sponsor and sole funder, Tricoci Salons has the opportunity to define and own the story of its founder — securing national visibility, deepening customer loyalty, and reinforcing its position as a legacy brand that continues to lead with heart and innovation.

This is more than a film — it’s a brand-defining cultural asset that lives across platforms and generations.

The Ask:
We’re inviting Tricoci Salons to serve as the sole funder of the Daymaker project, with an investment that directly supports production, marketing, brand integration, and scholarship activation — ensuring full alignment, visibility, and long-term ownership of the narrative.

DAYMAKER

feature documentary

An immigrant armed with a pair of shears and a dream, Mario Tricoci transformed the beauty industry from the ground up — “Daymaker” is a powerful documentary portrait of a world-class hairstylist, visionary entrepreneur, and mentor who redefined what it means to make someone’s day.

Social Media Campaign

The Daymaker campaign is a multi-platform storytelling initiative that celebrates Mario Tricoci’s legacy and the soul of the salon experience — the power to change someone’s day through presence, care, and artistry.

To maximize reach and offset production costs, we will pursue sponsorships from like-minded specialty brands that align with Tricoci’s elevated brand standards. These partners will be featured in branded episodes, podcast guest spots, and social media integrations.

Daymaker (Series)

SPONSORED BY SPECIALTY BRANDS (DYSON, REDKEN, ETC.)

Daymaker is a cinematic short-form documentary series that follows Tricoci Salons stylists and estheticians as they live out the spirit of being a daymaker — using their craft not only to enhance appearances, but to uplift the people they serve.

Each 10-12 minute episode centers around a team member offering a meaningful service to a guest navigating a challenging moment in life — a cancer survivor, a grieving parent, someone rebuilding confidence. Through care, artistry, and human connection, we witness how the experience of beauty can become a form of healing.

The series positions Tricoci Salons as the emotional core of the brand, with each episode reinforcing the values of compassion, excellence, and intention that Mario Tricoci built the company on.

Daymaker (Podcast)

SPONSORED BY TRICOCI UNIVERSITY

The Daymaker podcast is a series of authentic, uplifting conversations that explore what it truly means to make someone’s day. Each episode features a stylist from the Daymaker series and a brand ambassador from one of our sponsoring partners. Together, they discuss the power of beauty, the emotional weight of service, and the small moments that create lasting impact. From behind-the-chair stories to brand-driven inspiration, the podcast offers a deeper look at how beauty professionals live the daymaker philosophy — inside and outside the salon.

podcast EXAMPLES

Key Campaign Elements

Our content is built to resonate with a highly engaged and underserved niche: 1.4 million+ licensed beauty professionals in the U.S. and millions more salon-goers who understand the emotional impact of personal care.

This targeted, built-in audience gives Daymaker a clear path to scale — and a powerful advantage most documentaries don’t have.

Original Content Series & Podcast

  • 6 short-form YouTube episodes (10–12 min) featuring Tricoci Salons stylists and estheticians, each embodying the daymaker philosophy through deeply human guest experiences.

  • 3 social media cutdowns per episode (18 total) optimized for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and paid media.

  • 8 podcast episodes (15–20 min) featuring candid conversations between featured stylists, brand leaders, influencers, and select Tricoci University voices.

  • 3 social clips per podcast (24 total), designed to amplify reach and highlight key emotional or brand-aligned moments.

Film Festival Premiere & Celebration

  • Daymaker will premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival, honoring Mario Tricoci’s legacy in his hometown.

  • Tricoci Salons will serve as the headline presenter, with brand visuals and messaging woven into the event experience.

  • All featured stylists, clients, influencers, and partner brands will be invited — turning the premiere into a meaningful, high-profile celebration of beauty, purpose, and community.

Always-On Social Media Campaign

  • A $25,000 paid ad campaign across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook will drive awareness and direct traffic to the rental pages.

  • Partner with Tricoci alumni and stylists who have significant followings (some with 100K+ followers) to serve as promotional ambassadors.

  • Launch of #BeADaymaker, a unifying campaign encouraging clients, stylists, and followers to share their own daymaker stories — extending the brand’s presence through authentic community voice.

self distribution Strategy

  • The feature film will be uploaded to Amazon Prime and YouTube’s transactional rental platform at a $9.99 price point.

  • Both platforms allow for global reach, simple sharing, and in-platform ad boosting to reach custom audience segments.

  • YouTube Shorts and pre-roll ads will be used to promote both the film and the Daymaker series to target viewers actively engaged in beauty-related content.

Alternate Path

Early Studio Partnership

Our core plan is to lead with self-distribution, but we are also exploring early studio partnerships that could elevate the film's global profile — including the potential for an international premiere and a streaming deal.

If a studio partnership is secured early in production, we could aim to premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September — a globally prestigious stage that connects directly to Mario’s Italian heritage and elevates the film’s cultural weight.

Benefits of this approach:

  • Increased media coverage and international press exposure.

  • Expanded distribution pathways via studio backing.

  • Shared marketing burden and potentially broader release.

  • Followed by a US Premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival with momentum, recognition, and prestige at our backs.

  • Direct pathway from self distribution, to a potential streaming deal.

potential Studio Partners

Wayfarer Studios

Founded by actor/director Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer is a mission-driven studio known for emotionally powerful content that drives human connection and social change. Their projects include Oscar nominated documentary Will and Harper (Netflix), box office successes like It Ends With Us (Netflix) and Garfield. Wayfarer aligns closely with the emotional tone and values of Daymaker, and could provide both funding and distribution strength without compromising the heart of the film.

Wayfarer is backed by Steve Sarowitz, a Highland Park, IL native, entrepreneur, and philanthropist known for supporting values-driven media and social good. His involvement adds a meaningful local connection — reinforcing Chicago roots while amplifying the potential for global visibility.

With its blend of purpose, distribution muscle, and creative integrity, Wayfarer is a natural fit for Daymaker’s emotional tone, brand alignment, and impact goals.

Unrealistic Ideas

Founded by Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, and Archie Gips, Unrealistic Ideas is a premium nonfiction studio behind acclaimed projects like HBO’s McMillions, Wahl Street, and The Murders at Starved Rock. They specialize in real, character-driven stories with commercial appeal and critical success — a perfect match for Daymaker's blend of emotional authenticity and brand potential.

Projected Returns

In today’s landscape, self-distribution isn’t just viable — it’s strategic. It gives us full creative and financial control, direct access to our audience, and the ability to build momentum through the Daymaker content campaign — including a short-form series, podcast, and high-profile festival premiere.

A distributor-first model, by contrast, often results in lowball offers, especially for untested films without audience data.

By building traction on our own terms, we can prove value before negotiating deals, creating real leverage and maximizing long-term upside.

Total Budget & Investment

The Daymaker project is fully funded through private investment and brand partnership, with no need for outside capital.

We also expect to qualify for ~$100,000 in Illinois Film Tax Credit, reimbursed after production is complete and the film is released.

Revenue Participation

To align with investment, all net revenue from self-distribution and streaming will be shared as follows:

This structure ensures Tricoci receives the majority of returns, consistent with its majority investment and brand leadership role.

Self-Distribution Projections (TVOD)

Our plan is to launch rentals via Amazon or YouTube at $9.99. These platforms typically take 30–50% in fees. We’re using a conservative 40% fee estimate for projections.

With Tricoci's built-in client network, social media reach, and paid media campaign, we believe 100–200K rentals is an achievable target.

Optional Streaming Deal (Phase 2)

After building organic traction, we may pursue a platform deal to further monetize and expand reach.

If a studio like Wayfarer or Unrealistic Ideas helps secure the deal, they may request 10–20% of streaming revenue. This does not affect the 88/12 investor split unless they invest upfront.

Why It Works for Tricoci Salons

✔ Reinforces Tricoci’s legacy as a luxury beauty brand rooted in purpose, empathy, and excellence — not just a salon, but a movement

✔ Strengthens client loyalty and brand affinity by telling authentic, emotionally resonant stories from inside your salons — with your stylists and estheticians at the center

✔ Creates high-quality, evergreen content assets — including the film, series, podcast, and dozens of social cutdowns — that can be repurposed for ongoing marketing, recruitment, and product launches

✔ Expands Tricoci’s digital reach, providing a platform to market Tricoci-branded products and merchandise to a much larger lifestyle and beauty audience across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and podcast platforms

✔ Leverages ~$350,000 in tax-credit eligible spend to offset production costs — while giving Tricoci full control over the IP, brand placement, and long-term narrative