Hairbrained Conversations

In this episode, we get to know Kati Whitledge (@katiwhitledge), entrepreneur, salon owner, professional speaker, author and fellow podcaster. She shares her journey of how, as a "thirsty" hairdresser, she was fascinated with business development and why people choose brands or, more importantly, connect with certain types of people. She developed a survey that matches potential clients with haird...

In this episode, Maggie Hancock, @maggiemh, @schwarzkopfusa artist reveals how determination, grit and humility helped her achieve her goals. She shares how she not only took on multiple jobs to make her dream of opening a salon a reality, but also volunteered her time and talent on photo shoots, which led her to her current role at Schwarzkopf Professional overseeing creative direction on photo s...

To celebrate our 300 th podcast episode, Hairbrained cofounders Gerard Scarpaci and Randy Taylor reflect on Hb's past, present and future—and the immense gratitude they feel to each of you who have been part of the journey. They reminisce about the early days, when over pizza and beer they realized the massive opportunities that social media created for the industry, and how these thoughts became...

Aristotle once said, "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know." Ben Brown (@benbrownhair) had this epiphany when a student asked him why he was doing a technique in a certain way, and he realized he didn't actually know. So the left-handed hairdresser made it his mission to master his craft by becoming the ultimate student. He began filming his work to learn from his mistakes, and l...

With more than two decades in the pro beauty space, not to mention a master's degree in business,  Stef   Fox  (@stef_fox) has had a long and varied career that allows her to simultaneously have an intimate as well as a bird's eye view of the industry. And for the past few years, the founder of Talent Match (@salonrecruiting) has conducted an annual survey, which, with more than 22,000 responses,...

On the eve of @paulmitchellpro's latest release, the nine-SKU semi-permanent hair color line Colorways, we're joined by Artistic Director for Color @colincaruso and Colorways Brand Ambassador @fernthebarber. Creative color is experiencing a renaissance, and not just in the salon—as a barber, Fern shares how he's seen an uptick in client requests as well. Colin and Fern discuss the line's versatili...

Now celebrating the 10th anniversary of his seminal book, "Hair: Fashion and Fantasy," Laurent Philippon is, in his own words, "a hair-thinking war machine." The world-renowned session stylist never stops dreaming about hair, and his passion for the art and craft of hairdressing is unparalleled. Laurent's background and training with both Alexandre de Paris and Julien d'Ys has made his work a trul...

Lupe Voss is known within the #crafthairdresser community as a top-notch educator and colorist. For a lot of her career, she tailored her education around a color line. But with Color Space, she decided it was time to tailor the color around education and color theory. In this episode, she explains what led her to create Color Space, how deeply she embeds with a salon when they decide to take on a...

Hair extensions have come a long way in recent years, and so have expectations surrounding them. These days, knowing proper application techniques, how to color match and blend perfectly, and, quite frankly, the art behind extensions is the norm. We chat with Wade Zylstra (@wadecody), owner of Lux Salon in Fullerton, CA, and Kasandra Grzanka (@kgrzanka), VoMor Hair Extension educator, on everythin...

One of the most emotionally charged aspects of hairdressing is pricing. Look at almost any hair transformation video on @hairbrained_official, and there's usually a "How much would you charge for this?" question. Fear of losing clients, vague "charge your worth" advice and lack of pricing transparency all play a role. On top of that, hairdressers often emotionally discount, may not have consistent...

For years, the idea that "women of a certain age" would willingly embrace their grays was, let's face it, laughable. But when celebrity colorist Jack Martin (@jackmartincolorist) and his stunning gray transformations came onto the scene, perspectives shifted—not only on what it means to age, but also how important craft hairdressers are in helping their clients through graceful transformations. In...

One of the best aspects of being a pro in the hair industry is the friendships you make along the way. In fact, this idea of community and shared experiences is at the heart of what Hairbrained is all about. And one of the first Hb community members, DJ Muldoon (@danieljosephmuldoon)—a craft hairdresser, global educator and founder of @knowledgedestroysfear—has been a friend of Hb co-founder Gerar...

Chrystal L. has devoted her career to helping all hairdressers reach their full potential and realize their dreams. In 2019, she launched @allhairacademy, a pro gram for stylists who want to attract a diverse clientele and be confident working with any hair texture. In this episode, she shares tons of actionable tips to help you grow your business and profitability. Chrystal shares advice ranging...

What do you do when you hate doing wedding hair? You double down, of course! That is, you do if you're Candace Mansour (@candacemansour), a bridal hair specialist and educator based in the Northeast. Like many, she was intimidated by seemingly complicated updos, and in her own words, "hated bridal hair." But learning and, more importantly, teaching helped Candace build an award-winning, on-locatio...

Join Gerard as he sits down with Tom Connell (@tommconnell), Hair Art Director for @davinesofficial, for this special episode filmed at the Davines House in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We go deep into Tom's creative process and his unique way of manifesting original ideas across the spectrum of beauty. Also, Tom offers a sneak peek into what he has planned for Davines Hair On Tour, a multi-city collec...

With more than two decades of pro beauty experience, Dominique LyVar (@kingdomofcurls_) has had a transformative career: He's worked as a stylist in corporate salons, taught at the Aveda Institute in NY, and even works as a freelance editorial artist. Today he is a ReZo Master Designer and Master Global Educator whose social media following is steadily growing thanks to his celebration of curls. W...

Traci Sakosits (@tracisak_hair) has devoted her career to uplifting and educating future hairdressers. After spending the last decade coaching students as the North American Creative Director at Sassoon Academy, she is now the VP of Education and Creative for Aveda Arts + Sciences Institutes. We dive deep into a discussion on the current state of education and what makes a great educator. Traci al...

Many brands have been known to pivot during their lifetime, but none quite like Olivia Garden (@oliviagarden_int). Established in 1967 by Jean and Micheline Rennette in Belgium, the company began life as a high-quality synthetic wig manufacturer. But as tastes changed, Olivia Garden transitioned to distributor, to education company and finally, as we know them today, a global tool manufacturer. An...

With the brand-new Premiere Anaheim trade show just around the corner, Ed McNeill, SVP of Premiere Show Group, shares his insights into @premierebeautyshows' evolution and the continued importance of trade shows in today's digital age.    In this episode, you'll learn how Premiere grew from humble beginnings into one of the most respected and must-attend events of the professional hair industry. I...

One of the industry's best educators—not to mention a polished facilitator and presenter—Sonna Brado (@sonnabrado) reinvented her career during the pandemic by creating educational videos that offer value both to hairstylists and clients alike. As a result, Sonna's social media following grew exponentially, which has allowed her to successfully launch a tool brand and online education service. In...

It has long been reported by government and private statistics reports that many, if not most, hairdressers earn less than the poverty level. But because of inconsistencies and confusion in reporting, Tom and Erin Kuhn believed these figures weren't truly representative of hairdressers' salaries, and could be dissuading people from following their passion. In this episode, the Kuhns explain their...

A non-conformist filled with ambition since her teens when she found her passion and talent for hair, Janine Jarman has continually strived to do things her way. Janine frankly discusses how being persistent and following her gut has led her on her journey from salon owner to brand ambassador to being awarded "Fan Favorite" on Bravo's  Shear Genius  in 2010. And when everyone thought she was crazy...

Not many can claim they went from driving a forklift at Home Depot to becoming one of the industry's most recognizable educators. But this unique origin story befits Fern Andong, better known as @fernthebarber, and his unique approach to hair and education.  In this episode, Fern reveals not only his humble beginnings, but also the benefits and challenges of being dual licensed and educating in ba...

Over the past several years, Jayne Matthews (@jayne_edosalon) has blazed a trail across our industry using social media to share her "carving petals" approach to razor cutting. But her success has been hard earned; she had to overcome many challenges to find her authentic voice and approach to the craft, commerce and culture of hairdressing. Jayne is a vocal advocate for non-toxic salon environmen...

One wouldn't think that being an introvert would actually help a hairdresser become a celebrity stylist. But that's just what happened to Ryan Richman (@ryanrichman), who was recently named an @aveda ambassador. Ryan's incredible roster of star clients reads like a Young Hollywood It List: Sarah Hyland, Sadie Sink, Kate Mara, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams and more. In this episode, you'll learn h...