¶ Catching Up After a Break
Welcome to the Messy Hairstylist Podcast .
I'm Kelsey Morris and I'm Abbey Warther . Whether you are a mess , literally or figuratively , we are here to help you take imperfect action to find your success as a hairstylist .
Abbey and I have been gearing up for a very busy May . We are so excited that we are going to be at the Orlando Hair Show . Yes , well , I guess it's technically May , right , it's May into June . May 30th , may 1st .
We fly out May 31st . The show starts well for us June 1st . Yes .
Right . So we've been busy and we were just going through . We're like , oh my gosh , it's been three weeks since we put an episode out .
Oh , not the longest we've gone , but like I just get a guilt about it , I don't know why but it's serious . Apologies , I know , because I I had a education event this weekend and some of the stylists that there they were like oh my gosh , like this . Oh , you know what they loved our last episode ?
Yes , it was , it was , and I'm like , oh , and then I feel like I'm failing at life , but it's okay because we're lifing in other places and hopefully everybody loves and accept our apology .
Yeah , we're doing our best . You know , it's funny , though , the amount of messages do you get , messages that are like , are you guys still doing it ? And I'm like , yeah , we're just taking a little break .
I actually have clients who listen to it and come up in their life . Same , are you guys still doing the podcast ?
Yes , I had someone in my chair last night and she was like where's the next episode ? I'm like it's coming , I promise it's coming . So we're back . We've just been just getting ourselves together , so that's one of the things we wanted to talk about today . First , I think we should hype up
¶ Blonde Catalyst at Orlando Premiere Show
the Blonde Catalyst .
I know .
I'm so excited about it , let's hype it up .
Yes , well , yeah , I'm excited because what we're doing is we're teaching our Blonde Catalyst class at the Orlando Premiere Show and we've had some planning sessions recently . And we're just so excited . It's so fun . Yeah , we're killing it .
So , as most of you know , we teach with Sunlight's Professional and we were asked to teach our blonde catalyst at the Orlando Hair Show . So this is really exciting . We've taught it a few times on the road and in my salon , but now we get to do it on a really big scale . So we have been working really hard to condense it into three hours .
So we'll have like a one hour like demo and then two hours of just hands on . So if you're going to be at the Orlando hair show or have any interest in coming to a class , please come to our class . It was going to be so cool . I'm so excited .
And it's for like a steal , like if you sign up like literally the day before . The day before it's like 175 or something like that for the hands on which , under a hands on under $200 , is like unheard of so absolutely excited about that .
And we're going to be teaching foiling and balayage , so it's like a twofer in the class and and not to .
We're not going to give anything away , but , um , we're teaching the three catalysts to having a more successful blogging service is that how you word that ?
I love that I know yeah so we're just excited . We wanted to formally put it out there that that is what we've been working on . That is what we're doing , and if any of you listeners happen to be at the Orlando hair show , please find us .
Oh my gosh . Yes , okay , that's what I'm like . Of course , I'm excited for our class together at a hair show , which feels like not so to us , but I'm so excited to go . I was at Orlando last year . You worked the Chicago .
Chicago .
Yes , right . So you and I are going to be together at this show , and so Sunday we're going to kind of be in classes all day . So we do have our that paid workshop , but then I'm teaching a free look and learn with balayage , you're teaching a free look and learn with foiling , so there's a lot of different ways to take classes with us .
So basically we'll be doing that all day Sunday . All day Monday we're going to be working the booth . Yes to the Sunlight's booth . Yes , I know that you had that in Chicago last year . I had it in Orlando last year where people can't be like , oh , this sounds weird .
I listen to the podcast Not weird , makes our day Totally don't listen to the podcast not .
Weird makes our day totally . I had someone . My favorite was last year in Chicago when I was sitting at the bar and someone came from across the bar . They're like I have a weird question are you Kelsey Morris from the messy hair sales podcast ? I'm like yes , I am .
She's like I recognized your voice from across the bar and I'm like I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing , but I am so excited to meet you and she and I still keep in contact , like she's coming to Orlando . She's like I want to meet Abby .
Yes , she's pumped , so yeah , so take , come , take class with us . That would be the most exciting thing ever . And if you can't come see us at the , at the booth on that Monday , so yeah , we'll be there June 1st and 2nd in Orlando . Yeah . And we get to go to a fancy the Naha awards and we're getting all dressed up like I'm so excited .
I can't wait . I'm excited to our mentor . Candy Shaw was nominated for educator of the year , so we get to go . How cool would it be if she won and we were all ? I think she is .
I actually think she is gonna win . She was nominated a couple years ago and somebody else did win and so she's nominated this year . I think I do . I . Just my gut says she's getting it this year . Oh my gosh , I'm going to pass out . I know and well-deserved . And she's also teaching two hands-on
¶ Exploring Modern Hairstylist Education
workshops . She's doing the balayage hands-on workshop and the French cutting hands-on workshop . So , and I'm going to hope , I'm hoping that I'm helping with the French cutting workshop . So because it's I just love it , it's so fun .
Okay , so good .
So let's so talking about the hair show actually goes in with what we're talking about today . And about a week or two ago I took to TikTok and it kind of I acted like I was really asking a question , but I had ulterior motives because I'm sneaky like that and I just wanted to hear what hairstylists were thinking .
So I took to TikTok and I asked the question hairstylist , where the heck are we taking classes at ? And so I presented the question is where are we taking classes at ?
If I want to take a class as a hairstylist , where now , because education has changed dramatically in the last five years and obviously I know where to take classes at , I don't have problems finding classes because I want to make sure I'm in classes . It's very important to me , all that kind of stuff .
But I just had a feeling that hairstyles aren't taking classes like they used to , because it's hard . I think I don't know if I mentioned this in my tick tock , but I had said you know before , five years ago , are the companies that we worked with . They hosted and came to your salon all the time and taught hands-on classes or just look and learns .
There were classes everywhere . They were like smaller local events with different distributors or product lines , don't you think ?
Well , yeah , and I think that things have changed and they're not required anymore . True .
You're right , in the state of Ohio , in the state of Ohio .
I don't know where everybody is , but in Ohio they're not required to go towards our hours , so you don't have to take classes . So before you have to think all these brands were putting out classes because we needed to have them , and now I think they're still there . You just have to look for them . It's harder to find them , and now they're .
I think they're still there .
You just have to look for them . It's harder to find them . Yeah , no , I agree that they're still there . I think it's harder to find and I didn't think about that . In Ohio we only have to have like safe , safety and sanitation hours every two years . It's a joke .
I think that's crazy . That's actually frustrating to me that you don't have to take classes because that is going to hurt our industry so much . There are people like us who want to continue our education , who wants to be the best at what we're doing and continuously grow and learn , and then there are other people who literally just want to get by .
They don't really know exactly what they're doing and they're not staying up in the latest trends and it kind of gives everybody a bad name because they're the ones that everybody's going to post about , that people are going to make TikTok videos about , and for sure that's hurtful to our industry . So I'm that bums me out .
I know it bothers me too . I do know that those of us that are taking the classes , you know we'll get that much further along because , but it's , it's yes as a whole , if we were all very educated , that help everyone wins everyone wins .
So anyway .
So I took to TikTok and said where's everyone taking classes ? And it was really interesting the results that I got . I had about 74 , 75 comments of hairstylists telling me where they're taking classes and the majority I got was they are going to their local beauty supply store and they're taking the classes in there .
So it's like , okay , those are back again , cause those used to be , and you can get a cheap class under a hundred dollars for sure , right In there . And some of them are hands on . So there are people that are doing that because they don't want to spend an arm and a leg and they don't want to be traveling across the country to go take a class .
And I get that we're busy , but we want accessible education . So there was a lot of answers like that . I also got a lot of . I just invite educators into my salon , which , yes , but not everybody has the means to do that .
You might not have a salon to invite people into , or you do , but you don't have other stylists that want to take the class with you to warrant that , and then hair shows so I was actually . I was happy .
I was happy to hear people saying hair shows , I know that people are talking about hair shows , right ?
Yes , they're like I go to hair shows , and I think one person in particular said I'm going to Orlando premiere , which is one of the better ones , and so Chicago is a really good one too . I mean , I like all the premiere shows , to be honest , but she's like I go to the Orlando shows and I just take a ton of classes .
I have lots of thoughts on all of these things . So the first thought , starting from the beginning , is like , okay , you go into your distributor . I'm so glad distributors are doing classes again that they're becoming more common . I love . I mean , I think some lights is hosted , classed in distributors .
They have like a flyer and you can go see your flyer and I think they're really accessible to everyone
¶ In-Salon Education Opportunities
. So I love that at least people are trying to do something . Yes , great . Um , when you talked about bringing someone into your salon , we just recently did that . So , if you haven't looked into it , a majority of your color lines , like we use Dobbin S , so Dobbin S .
They brought in a person to teach us a product knowledge class , a color class , and we had her for three hours and honestly , I know a lot of salon owners are probably thinking like , well , I can't afford that . It was free to us .
Right , If you carry the line yes , yeah .
So don't be afraid to dig into that , reach out to your rep or even go into the distributor and be like hey , how do I get a class ?
Because but here's the thing and this is the experience that I've had with my salon is , you know , I use Kevin Murphy and we used to before COVID . We used to be able to say , hey , we want a class and we would schedule . Someone would come in . It would either be hands-on , look and learn whatever we wanted . But since then I can't do that anymore .
Why , I don't know . I just don't think they have the resources that they used to , or they pulled back on so much stuff , so we have to wait for them to have what they call a cluster class , so they will plan the class and have it hosted at one of the area salons , and then all of us go to it . So we have to just wait and hope .
Yeah , well , that's a bummer , it is I mean , but stay on them .
So that's a change for us . Let's stay on them and keep inquiring about this class , because I think eventually they'll do it , and maybe they won't if not many people are interested , but I just there are , like Davines just did it for us last month . So I would say , don't be afraid to reach out and talk to them about it .
And if you're in a suite , like you said , or you know , in an individual , like on your own , and you don't have the you know , meet a salon to bring someone into , you could still reach out to your rep or reach out to your distributor because , like we were able to have like other people come into our class , so I could be like , hey , if anybody else
reaches out , send them over , like it's fine . So there's always salons hosting things like that , so keep looking into that . But then to the hair show . Yes , I'm so glad hair shows are back in it Now . I will say for a long time after COVID , hair shows were so quiet and so sad . Remember when they were first coming back and it was just like .
I don't know , last year in Chicago it was like , oh my gosh , I think they're coming back . This is so exciting . Now I have some feelings about that too , because I think a lot of the smaller shows like Columbus , which we've always loved Columbus is it's almost getting smaller and smaller .
Some of the bigger brands are pulling out , they're not necessarily going in and it's kind of hurting the shows as a whole because they're focusing on the big shows , which then almost becomes oversaturated and , look , there's nothing we can do about that . But I will say there is still a lot of value in the smaller shows .
So in Columbus for us remember when Sunlights was in Columbus last year and it was a smaller show or was the year before last it was a smaller show that weren't as many big brands , but that was great for us because we got to teach some of those really impactful classes that people wouldn't necessarily take , because they're going to take the Red King class , the
Moroccan oil class , yes , and maybe learn something a little different . The Moroccan oil class , yes , and maybe learn something a little different . So I you know .
I still think hair shows have such great value . Well , and that's the thing , like with the hair shows , okay . So , yes , they're coming back , they're building back up the bigger ones . You're so right in that , like , the small ones are suffering from it from all the changes in the last five years , but there's still the big .
I see just the big chatter online of , like hair shows suck and it's like let's , let's like calm down , like
¶ Hair Shows: Value and Misconceptions
we have to also take what's available to us and make the best of it , right . So , like , okay , hair shows suck , do they ? Are they different than what they were now ? Because , look back , is that just nostalgia ? You're just thinking about the good time that you had and now you think it was just so much better . I don't think that they're different . I don't .
I think it's the same . Go to Orlando . You're still having a ton of education , all of the top brands , all the top educators , literally everybody's there . So it's . Instead of sitting back and be like there's no good classes anywhere , I can't take classes . There are .
Yeah , are you proactive in getting educated , or do you want to be like a victim of the times ? And was that like too rough ? Am I being too hard ? No , I love it . I think you're doing great .
I'm happy .
I feel bad saying it , but that's what I feel like . I see is like oh , there's just no there . There were a lot of comments on that TikTok of mine of like classes suck . Like so much negativity . It's like , okay , classes are going to suck . If you think they suck , classes are good .
And I had a few people say , um , like they're just way too expensive , and so I asked back you know , I said okay , what , what price are you looking for ? What's your price point ? And because they're like we don't want to pay $500 for a class , get it Right . And they don't want to pay $300 for look and learn Totally , get that .
Though , too , I don't want to do that either . If I'm going to pay 300 bucks , I want some hands on , and so and the person's answer was two to $300 . It's like fair , that's fair .
For a hands-on class .
I think that's fair .
Well , I agree , and I you know there's a lot . Like you were saying earlier . A lot of the people were complaining at TikTok that it's just like big influencers holding these big classes and they're super overpriced .
What you know , what I think about is how do you find , like the smaller classes that is hard to find , the smaller classes to like figure out where they are . So I think you just got to keep asking .
You have to . Google stay on it . Yeah , and you just have to like follow those people online . So , like you know , I teach and I've had two classes in the last couple of weeks .
I'm a , I'm one of the small people right , Like I don't have a giant following , I don't have a huge name , but I am out there actively teaching classes and it's yeah , it's like I will promote myself , post my stuff and it's just a matter of somebody stumbles across me . Right , you know , and so and so like okay , I'm doing that .
There's probably so many other people like me that are a small educator that has amazing classes too , and I can only think that the smaller educators are the ones that like that's whatles , and make a difference and speak to them . We're not just packing a room full of 25 , 30 stylists for a $400 .
Look and learn just because we're an influencer on a big tour .
Right , and that's the stuff we have to look .
we have to sift through and then buy .
It's hard , there's no so you know what we should do . We should commit to helping our community . Anytime you and I come across a good class yeah , that's affordable we should shout it out in here and just be like I heard this class , because if we play , we do play . So much value in education .
Obviously we're both educators like we want other people to be have education as well , and we're not just saying take our education , take sunlight , sunlight's education .
No right , Get educated .
Get educated
¶ Finding Quality, Affordable Classes
. Let's start shouting out . We're going to start shouting out classes to make it easier , and then , if anyone else hears of a good class , shout it out to our fan mail , because , you never know , one of us might be interested too . We could shout it out as well .
Here's what I'm going to say . Okay , there's already three that are on my radar , all right , all right . So , um , this one already happened and I did not go to it , but I want . A local salon owner reached out to me , said , hey , I'm bringing this person in that , um , chanel mariano yeah you know her , she like just like the strings and stuff .
So she just taught a class locally . I think she's great . Now she's does have a bigger following , but I don't feel like she does not operate as like an influencer . She's an educator . So there's her . Another one that that actually that same salon owner is hosting is Shannon DeMont . So , she is an educator that teaches photography for hairstylists .
Ooh , love that , yes , and so she's having her , I feel like , not until September , and this is in Ohio and she's going to . So Shannon DeMont she has a Facebook group that is photography for hairstylists , and so she's great , so she's really committed to . She's like I think she's a full-time educator . Now I don't feel like she's doing hair anymore .
And then another one is . I can never remember his name . He's this Irish dude . I need to put his name out .
I can picture him . I know who you're talking about . I can picture him .
So he's from Ireland but he will travel to the US sometimes and so I just saw that he's teaching in Texas . Cool , his education , colorist , top notch , like because he's in Ireland and I told my husband like I want to go to Ireland to take one of his classes .
Awesome . Oh my gosh , I wonder what he's in Texas . We should go to Texas .
I know I feel like it's coming up soon , but yes , so already . So that's the thing .
If you're somebody that doesn't have a couple people or a person on top of your head that you want to take a class from , just you need to do some more digging and start getting this , looking online and seeing what's out there , I agree , and it's hard to find , which brings us back to like the hair show thing .
Take what you can out of hair shows , make it what you can Like . I said , yes , the bigger ones are going to be oversaturated , but please don't knock on the smaller ones , because you know what . It's not all smoke and mirrors , right .
We've got some great education in those too , and even if you pick up a class or two and you'll get your money's worth just from that . So I think I love that hair shows are coming back . I hate that people are starting to think of them negatively and I want everybody to remember that it's up to us to seek out education .
It's not just always going to fall in your lap .