Barbershop Year 11 Issue 2

to

editor’s letter

We start this issue by first acknowledging the Kabi Kabi and Tugambeh people, traditional custodians of the lands from which be bring you barbershop magazine, and we pay respect to their elders past and present. A very warm welcome to you one and all wherever you are reading us.

There’s a saying with Blues Musicians, “You can’t play the Blues unless you can play the freight train.” What they are saying is you can’t expect to truly master an art form if you don’t know the “Roots”, the history from where it all began, the essence, the spirit…the soul from which a beautiful creative movement that touches so many in so many ways… was born.

Barbering is no different, right now in 2022, we like to think we are pioneers, breaking new ground, we are not. Have a look at 1920 and 1930 haircuts on men, sick skinfades brah… and no clippers!!

Fast forward to the 1950’s and an influencer on the social media of the day, black and white television, by the name of Elvis Presley hit the scene. He had a greasedup pompadour that still makes todays fans of the pomp salivate, in fact, it set the standard from which every pomp from that day forward would be compared.

Hair fashion and indeed all fashion trends, go round and round, round and round, we pay homage to the looks that resonate with us by keeping them alive and doing a better job of it each time it comes into vogue or not even we just keep doing them because the looks are part of us. That’s why we have thriving sup-cultures, groups of like-minded folks that love the same fashion, style and shared beliefs, you know, your tribe!

Just ask a veteran of the trade that has been around enough turns of the sun to know. As I have stated to you before and many of you know, I did the hair and make-up for the Last Super shoot and I said to Jesus, dude, long hair… beards and sandals will make a comeback, it took a while but 1970 years later… was I right?... was I right!

Seriously, the historical timeline for barbering is very interesting to look at, this issue we meet a trailblazer that possibly singlehandedly kick-started the modern barber movement we are enjoying it today, back in the early and mid 90’s, Donnie Hawley, of and he is the founder of LAYRIGHT products, you probably have some on your shelf.

With modern maestros like the AREA team here in Australia and the L3VEL3 teams globally (just to name two groups that happen to be represented in these pages as well) tackling longer hair as it trends in slowly this time around in history, we are unlikely to see the demise of the barber or barbershop ever again like we did in the 70’s and 80’s as we move forward into the future no matter what the current hair trend of the day, long, short, shin fades or beards on, beards off! Today’s modern barber will be skilled at it all, even mastering colour.

We are clever and we meet the needs of what’s desired by our customers. Check out VITAMAN in this issue, an Australian company that has already gained international fame and respect for their amazing range men’s grooming products as they introduce among other things, skin care

into our world. A game changer for us here in Australia sure, but a trend that men around the world are demanding from their Groomsmiths…us, in the form in-house treatments and in take home after care.

Starting your own shop, Moe Diedricks is in Melbourne, and he generously takes us along for the ride this issue. We join up with Barbero Bengie of L3VEL3 fame in-between a massive back-to-back live show touring schedule he is currently doing State Side.

Speaking of shows, it’s that time again folks. Hair Festival is upon us Queens Birthday weekend in Sydney at Carriage Works. We have the skinny on the finalists of our AHIA Men’s Hair Specialist of The Year, you can see their submissions in this issue. If you’re at Hair Festival, pop over the AHIA Gallery/Mocha Group stand and say Hi, I would love to see you and talk about your entry into our Australian Modern Barber Awards there’s still time to enter…let’s get it going!! …and talk all things barbering of course.

Fraser Forsey is here, Captain Fawcett is here, NZ Barber of the Year winners are here, Sam Squires, Collette Saunders (also performing at Hair Festival) Don De Sanctis talks beards, Mario Fallace-business and more, more, more

This is issue 11.2 Enjoy!!

Editor – Barbershop Magazine

How do read back issues? www.issuu.com search BarberShop

How do I connect with Rex? @rex.a.c.silver

barbering runs in our veins.

The Grand-Master

BY REX A.C. SILVER

Donnie Hawley might just well be responsible for the Modern Barber movement and resurgence of the Barber and Barber Shop as we now know it today. If you follow the historical timeline of Barbering you’ll see that after the Duran Duran and Flock of Seagulls styles of the 80’s coming out of unisex salons, in the early to mid 90’s there was a shift, and at ground zero in California was young Rockabilly on a mission behind the chair

He started a scene and trained and influenced and army barbers that grew and spread out across the globe. He developed a range of products out of necessity just to cut and style hair properly in his shops. That product LAYRITE, now sits in most Barber Shops around the world.

LET’S MEET: DONNIE HAWLEY

Donnie Hawley started Barbering in 1984 at the age of 14. “My stepmom’s family had barbershops and there was always a chair on the patio out back” Donnie started.

“We had endless customers as Guinea pigs you know, tested on humans not animals”

“I can still remember the excitement I felt back then, I knew it was the start of my barber journey… my stepbrother was a jock and on the football team and that year, the whole team decided to get Mohawks, and they did it there out the back of our house on the patio in the barber chair”

“I jumped in on those Mohawks that day and well, that was the beginning for me right there, right then”

“I was rocking the Rockabilly theme myself even then, but I had really curly hair, so it meant a lot of time in the bathroom with a blow-dryer and a round brush man… a lot of time ha-ha”

It’s this dedication to the Rockabilly sub-culture, fashion and looks from the 50’s that will see Donnie’s career flourish and what will become his signature haircuts that he perfects in the early 1990’s, 30 years ago, will become staples in the repertoire of barbers today in 2022 as we still do our modernised versions of the pomp’s, the flat tops the slick backs and more.

“Back in the early 90’s there was 3 of us dedicated to the sub-culture movements, I was all about the hair, Jimmy Shine restored and customised cars, he was a Gothic and Chopper Dave the motorbikes, they call us The Loveless, we weren’t trying to bring some piece of time back like the 50’s, we were just doing our thing”

Donnie would go set up a chair at festivals and shows to get his brand of barbering out there, it took some time and he had to build up a following one cut at a time.

The first magazine he graced was a Car Magazine and the first sponsors to help him get to the shows and festivals was a hub-cap company.

He opened his first Barber Shop in Costa Mesa in the late 90’s with only one chair and even took a night job until he got busy enough.

“Back then there were no barbers to hire. The Beatles changed everything man, The Beatles changed everything. Up until the 1950 barbershops and barbers were everywhere. It was a great industry think about it, the 60’s roll around and the Beatles decided to grow

their hair and business stared to dry up for barbers, add Vietnam and the 70’s; unkept long hair and beards were in the barber went extinct just about. When the 80’s hit it started to change but men were going to salons and the hair styles and cuts were exactly that. When we started thing going in the 90’s we had to start all over again. The barbers left were too old, the new generation was about to hit, but it grew slowly”

BUILD YOUR OWN ARMY

Donnie went about training barbers and soon he had a dedicated following of subjects willing, keen, and eager to learn. His dedication to the principals of barbering were pure and insisting on using a straight razor was probably the hardest challenge it terms of getting staff heads around their barber journey beginnings.

“No one would shave around the hair-line and over the ears, ha-ha, it was tough man! But we got there. My approach is very old school, very traditional and disciplined. Great barbering and great customer service and client satisfaction. The hot towel shaves and precision around the hairline is important to me and my way. My shops were a homage to old traditional barbershops as well. Cream and brown chequered tiles on the floor, you know the first magazines to feature us would say it was very 1940’s Chicago Gangster”

You can see the in the images here of the shops that the floors might be cream and brown chequered, but the well lived-in space has over the years, with memorabilia and bits and pieces moved away from the traditional Chicago look, and with Donnie’s personality and that of the movement he was building, morphed to what looks like the barbershops of today that you see all around the world.

The difference is, today’s shops look like this from day one where as Donnie’s Hawleywood’s Barber Shops took decades to fit out like this, a piece here a piece there, a lamp here, a matchbox car there. Every piece in every store would have its own story to tell and each a place of importance in the history of the shops themselves.

The Busy times and the birth of the modern barber movement as we now know it today.

“We were booked 4 weeks in advance, every one of us. We would not let anyone leave, no-one got out without making an advanced booking on their next cut. No-one. That’s how we did it. Then we expanded.”

“Barber Shops were growing in popularity and opening up and soon we were doing shows all over. You must remember, this was the late 90’s, no social media back then. We had to pick the right shows, the right festivals and we did we got lucky, we took my signature cuts out there man, our original signature hair cut poster is so old there is no art work for it, the one pictured here is from the early to mid 90’s, We were just like a band ha-ha, but really, I have always called my show team The Band Of Barbers, to this day, the Layrite team that show and tour globally are called just that”

Donnie was not immune to the inevitable. Even without social media to farm customers from, he had some of his top guys go it alone and take

his business and his business practices with them and open their own shops. Often close by, often looking very similar and often a little cheaper, we know this song.

“Yeah, I know, it’s gonna happen. Doesn’t mean I have to like it… at the time it breaks your heart and hurts. Emotionally and financially but at the end of the day I guess I am and always will be a part of their journey and to some extent their successes too”

“I would say, conservativity, I am probably responsible for over 100 Barbershops opening around LA alone from my stable of Barbers over the years, I am very proud of that, very proud but it does still hurt at the time”

LAYRITE

Donnie started making products out of necessity, for no other reason.

“Man, you just couldn’t get your clippers through the hair. The wax’s and pomades around at the time like Murry’s and Black and White were next level and wouldn’t budge, it was torture trying to wash the wax out of the hair with olive oil… it took ages. I started out making my own shampoo and water-soluble pomade and wrapping them together… you had to buy both, it was a combo package. Just so our customers would have hair we could cut when they came it. It was that simple, that’s how it started.”

“It was cool, you know the early days of formulating, we had endless customers as Guinea pigs you know, tested on humans not animals’”

That was 22 years ago and now Layrite has 24 products in the range, oh… and lovers of Layrite, a scoop, you heard it here first, some new stuff coming out very shortly!

Sold on every continent and to over 28 countries Donnie’s hand has inadvertently influenced barbers all around the globe and continues to do so each and every day by the work they do using Layrite products.

COME ON MAN, TELL US THE STORY…

“All right, all right it’s true Rex, it’s a true story… OK, I’ll tell it. So I’m making this stuff and selling to my customers and this customer keeps coming in and buying it, Christopher the Christian Rocker, in a Christian rock band you know, he had the unruliest hair you can get… really hard to style, and anyway, he’s says Donnie I just love this stuff, I love it, it’s the only thing that can make my hair lay right. Layrite!!... true story ha-ha” @layriteofficial

IMPORTANT DATES

NOW OPEN FOR ENTRY! | PRODUCT ENTRY DEADLINE 6th June ‘22

GENERAL ENTRY DEADLINE 1st Aug ‘22 | FINALISTS ANNOUNCED 12 Sept ‘22

CATEGORIES

PHOTOGRAPHIC AND SUBMISSION

Australian Modern Barber of the Year

Australian Modern Barber Business of the Year

NOMINATED CATEGORIES

Special Recognition + Hall of Fame

PHOTOGRAPHIC ONLY

Best Barber Collection Junior

Best Barber Collection Classic

Best Barber Collection Freestyle

Best Barber Team Collection

CLEAN SKIN

BUSINESS CATEGORIES

Best Director/Owner of the Year

Best Customer Care

Best Men’s Educator of the Year (Individual)

Best Men’s Educator of the Year (Organisation)

Best Barbershop Design of the Year

PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT AWARDS CATEGORIES

HAIR CARE - Best Shampoo and Conditioner pair or 2 in one product

HAIR STYLE - Best Styling Product. Entries can include:- Styling Wax, Cream or Paste

BEARD CARE - Best Beard Care Product. Entries can include:- Oil, Wax, Cream or Paste

Winners Announced at the Awards Event 6th November 2022, Melbourne

All entry criteria and access to entry site via www.mochagroup.com.au

The AMBA provide the Australian Barbering Industry a much needed and often requested benchmark of excellence and platform to showcase and be recognised for creative and business skills.

Barbero Bengie

Puerto Rico

WITH REX A. C. SILVER

L3VEL3 Shareholder, International Guest Artist and Educator, Puerto Rican Trova Singer and Husband, Bernie Candelario Arocho injects passion into everything he does and inspires many others along the way. He has 379k followers on Instagram, 1.2M followers on Facebook and his instructional videos on his You Tube channel have been viewed nearly half a million times.

We spent some time to get to know this dedicated creative a little better.

Please tell us about yourself…

My name is Bernie Candelario Arocho. I grew up with my dad, my sisters, and my brother in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I had a childhood full of a lot of learning. After finishing high school, I began my studies in barbering and hairstyling. I had the opportunity to work in a barbershop while I was studying, and I worked there for 20 years. Today I have my license as a barber and professional stylist, I have more than 500 hours of continuing education, I have my own barbershop “Bengie Salon” in the town of Caguas and I currently live with my wife in Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Can you lead us into what drove you to excel to such a high level within the craft of barbering? It all started at young age of 15 in the year 1993 at my grandmother’s house. I cut our neighbours and relatives even when I was very young. A great influence that I had in my childhood, was my brother, who cut his friends hair and I always watched him. Then I studied to get my diploma and license as a barber. What has brought me to this level? Commitment, dedication and above all putting God first in all things.

You own your own Barbershop, what does an average workday look like for you?

I work in my own barber shop called “Bengie Salon”. Normally when I’m not traveling, I’m at the barbershop. I start work at 9:00am. I cut 5 to 6 people a day and when I finish work around 6:00 or 7:00 pm I head home.

L3VEL3 has exploded onto the world stage and has instantly merged high level hairdressing skills and barbering together with its incredible imagery in the marketing of the range from the likes of yourself, Robert Braid and Abass Ahmadifard to name just 2 other ambassadors. Users of the product have jumped straight on board with the colouring of hair and the precise lines in the architecture of the haircuts and beard work. Can you expand on this for us please?

L3VEL3 is a brand of barber products that has become widely known in a short time for the quality of its products. I have been working with the brand for two years and I give demonstrations of how to use its products in order to have a good result and ensure its correct use. L3VEL3 is a quality product that differs from other brands and takes you to another level. My talent

coupled with L3VEL3 products, videos and exposure take me to another level!

I believe that both L3VEL3 and the barbering industry have gone to the next level, as bleaching and colours are a fundamental basis for displaying your work, as it is an art and a way to expand your knowledge in the art of barbering. colorimetry to highlight your cuts or jobs. Since it is not only based on cuts but on the union of what is barbering and cosmetology.

You seem just at home with women’s cuts as you do with men’s especially with the use of colour. Can you tell us about the added dimension to your art that hair colour gives you, and how colouring hair inspires such intricate detailed creations in some of your latest work?

I feel comfortable doing cuts for both men and women and with the continuous education of cutting techniques and colorimetry techniques I can easily adapt them. At present I combine different colours to the cut to give a different style that distinguishes you, because with the union of these two

techniques you can create an immensity of works that the only limit is created by that our own imagination.

Can you tell us about the joy you get from sharing knowledge through your role as an educator and a little about the extensive shows you are doing now?

I believe that to be an educator, you must educate yourself and with 500 hours or more of continuing education, different certifications, and a degree in barbering, it’s given me the opportunity to acquire knowledge and be able to transmit it to other people in the right way for their professional growth and for the 28 years that I have been in the industry.

I can touch on several topics that I have mastered perfectly both in the technical, and theoretical aspects. All this makes me enjoy the process of learning to be able to teach others and what God has allowed me to know. Seeing me at the shows, you can see how I apply all the techniques I have learned, using L3VEL3 products, and giving my personalized touch to all my creations. Being on stage is hard work, but at the same time it is gratifying to give others a little of what I know, and it fills me with satisfaction that other people can take away the best of me.

What’s up next for you this year?

Hard work, more education, continue to grow as a professional, and more surprises coming soon!

Any words of inspiration you would like to share with our Australian Barbers?

To my Australian colleagues I say never stop dreaming. There are no limits in the world of Barbering. It is very important to constantly educate oneself in order to be able to innovate and offer the best to your clients. Barbering is a beautiful art through which we can bring about positive changes in the industry. I would love to visit Australia; it would be a dream to get to know such a beautiful country.

Article assisted with translation by Jay Nouri

@barberobengie @lv3pro www.barberobengie.com

60 SECOND SPEED DATE WITH BARBERO BENGIE

Favourite Destination in the World: My home with my family

Favourite Food: Rice, beans and porkchops!

Favourite Movie: Stargate.

Favourite Book: “La canción verde” (Green song) it’s about a Coquí, a native animal who can only survive in Puerto Rico.

What/Who are you reading right now? The Bible.

What/Who are you listening to right now? Christine D’ Clario

What are you watching right now (TV)? NBA basketball

The Man Behind The Moustache

BY REX A.C. SILVER

From kitchen scientist - to the world’s leading brand synonymous with Fancy Moustaches and Epic Beards that now, supplies to over 50 countries around the globe. Richie Finney, a selfproclaimed former “Bum”, has taken his men’s product range CAPTAIN FAWCETT to the high seas of the International Men’s Grooming Market with tremendous success.

Hardly a “Bum”, his humour is next level, Richie was a renowned boom operator and sound guy in the film industry and worked on a slew of big screen hits, Memphis Belle with Robert Downey Jr and Billy Elliot. He loves to talk himself down and underplay his successes but there’s no hiding his BIG personality. His energy and passion for life and his businesses and charity work, at 65 years of age, is infectious. He’s one of these people that lifts the room, and his quick wit keeps you on your toes.

Richie started out making his own private Moustache Wax just for himself over 30 years ago. “Six small pots at a time, ingredients melted together in a Baked Bean tin in a saucepan of water over the gas stove top with a set of pliers to hold the hot tin. I would put the wax in old camera roll canisters, if you’re too young to know what they are, think Kinder Egg canister. These would last me several months and I never thought more of it”, he says.

Until one day, Richie’s wife, who was a top film industry make-up artist, asked if she could use some in her kit to take on set to work.

The wax was a huge hit, The Hobbit, the film she was working on went on to win 6 Oscars and

demand for Richie’s wax began. That was 12 years ago. Now CAPTAIN FAWCETT supplies all thing men’s grooming to many film sets including The Grand Budapest Hotel which sports some great Moustaches and Beards.

“It all happened organically,” Richie explains, “and I’m very grateful for that because we had time to take each step well and we only had to do it once. From the packaging and imagining of the logo and labels, through to the ingredients and formulas we had some amazing friends all come in at the right time and some by complete chance. I first met Iain Crockart, co-founder of CAPTAIN FAWCETT, on an off-road motorcycle adventure in Cambodia. He has always looked after the design and aesthetics of the brand as creative director. It just happens that his wife Lou is an aromatherapist, so it all came together perfectly. Lou has created many of our fragrances. I would like to point out, and this is very important to us, all our Moustache Waxes, Beard Balms and Beard Oils are all still developed, manufactured, and made in house. We don’t outsource those products to big production companies, we are very proud of that.”

“Beards are still so on trend, they are not going away, so it was a natural progression to move into from moustache wax to include beard products and so on. We now have all things shaving, bath products, soaps, moisturizers and skin exfoliators and the range is growing!”

Captain Fawcett also collaborates with others for instance, they produce the Signature Series Barberism range with New York born barber educator Sid Sottung and The Million Dollar Beard Oil with Australia’s own Jimmy Niggles (Scott Maggs) famous for raising 1m for the charity Beard Season in awareness for melanoma cancer in men before having his epic beard shaved off.

THE CAPTAIN FAWCETT EMPORIUM

“We have, to my knowledge, the biggest Barber Museum in the world. 9000 square feet. We have over 500 shaving mugs for instance. Some of these you could just literally pick up by the load at a thrift shop for just a few cents and then there’s solid silver one from the 1880s. And others that were around £500 or £600 each.”

“It’s the same with the razors. The oldest razor on board dates from 1650, and it’s actually got ‘Cutlass’ engraved on the blade. It’s one of the finest examples there is! Then there are the Japanese razors of course. They’re marvellous, made in exactly the same way that they made those beautiful samurai swords.”

“We have vintage motorbikes too, a 1937 BSA and a 1941 Indian. We don’t have a barbershop per se, but we do have several barbershop tableaux. For instance, you can walk through a replica barbershop from the 1880s, complete with authentic fit out and tools etc. But I won’t give too much away; everyone should take the online 360 degree virtual tour and experience it all for themselves on our website.”

Like I said it’s hard to get Richie to talk himself up on his successes, but I did some research and CAPTAIN FAWCETT has indeed won numerous awards not only for the range of products but specifically for the amazing fragrances of the Eau De Perfumes.

Lastly, we speak about a subject close to Richie’s heart and that’s helping to raise money through bike rides. Specifically, BarbersRide, something that he and his mates cooked up a

few years back. It started out small and every year has grown in size and number of riders, and also in their ability to raise money for charitable causes.

“This will be our sixth year. So far, we’ve raised £86,000, which is not an inconsiderable amount! The first year it helped the Lions Barber Collective, a charity started by Tom Chapman in the UK. They deal specifically with men’s mental health, as we know in the UK the biggest killer of men under 45 is suicide. (Also, here in Australia)

In Barbershops, as you know, people talk about all kinds of things they may not talk about to many other people. They’re a safe space so men can open up. The close relationship with their barber is unique, different to talking to family, friends and colleagues. Barbers see you regularly and can often tell if you’re not really quite your normal self. So that’s the opportunity for them to offer a friendly listening ear by also support. It all ties in. So, the Lions Barber Collective set up a training program specifically for Barbers, which has really, really helped here.

Fast forward to now and with Barbers/Riders coming from all over the UK and Europe to participate in Barbersride, we have chosen to ride for the brilliant children’s charity Make a Wish. Do join us!”

With Barber Shows kicking off here again, you will no doubt see Richie as he loves to support the industry around the globe and before COVID, frequently visited us here, there is also talk of BarbersRide here in Australia, if you are interested, reach out to Richie through the CAPTAIN FAWCETT website.

@captainfawcett www.captainfwcett.com

ANDIS DEBUTS BARBER THEMED MURALS IN ATLANTA AND VENICE BEACH

ANDIS® recently celebrated its centennial year with the debut of a barber-themed mural in the trendy Little Five Points neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. The 11ft x 30ft sized, hand-painted mural pays homage to the brand’s heritage with its iconic Gold Master Cordless Clipper on full display and embraces the brand’s new positioning with its new tagline. – Create Your Way

The barbering scene, organic shapes, and bold colors in the company’s brand palette encourage locals to be inspired to create their way. This mural was the first implementation of the Andis® Brighter Community series, expected to roll out through major cities in 2022, and is part of the brand’s strategy to employ unique visual storytelling that highlights those at the center of their business – creators.

“The Andis® Company believes creativity makes the world a better place and we are thrilled to bring that spirit to Atlanta with this inspirational mural. We always put our customers at the forefront in all we do so it was a natural decision to ensure that each element of the mural centres and celebrates the vibrancy of those creators, especially barbers. We have such a strong community here in the Big Peach and we are excited about giving residents a burst of color and inspiration in these times,” said Angie Vlasaty Peterson, the company’s Vice President of Marketing. “The mural has been months in the making, and we are happy to share it with Atlanta during our centennial year. We hope that residents come and experience it in person. We want them to see themselves represented and sincerely hope that it inspires and encourages them to go on creating their own works of art, in the barbershop or salon and beyond.”

“Our customer is our priority, and our community is crucial,” added Vlasaty Peterson. “We view these murals as a natural part of Andis® Company’s reimagined endto-end experience. Atlanta is already beautiful, but we wanted to give back to our customers, to connect with them in nontraditional, unexpected ways and really live our core values as a brand. We are 100% about championing the creative spirit and encouraging creative thinking and expression.”

The first mural was designed and hand-painted by the team at Mural Art & Consulting, partnering with Overall Murals, who work with clients like Andis® Company to bring their artistic vision to life.

2nd cab off the rank can be seen at Venice Beach, a city steeped in surf, sport and car culture located on Venice Art Walls at 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291 from March 29 – May 24, 2022.

SAFETY

The safety lock eliminates the risk of dealing with exposed blades, while ensuring hygienic safe shaving.

QUALITY

Better Barber manufacturers its premium-quality razor heads & blades from the highest-grade materials. Our unique design & sharp blade guarantee the finest clean shave.

COMFORT

The handle design and weight maximize grip and comfort for the highest stability and cut.

EASE OF USE

Smart 2 step operation enables a quick and simple blade change – just click the new razor heads into place, remove the safety-lock and you’re good to go!

HYGIENE

Single-use disposable head guarantees 100% hygiene, saving time and cost involved in sterilizing tools between clients.

CLEAN DESIGN

The unique handle and razor head geometry is design to prevents skin and other debris from getting trapped and disease transmission.

CLIENT CONFIDENCE

Assure your clients that you’re using a new and clean blade by removing the safety lock in front of them right before you begin.

CUSTOMISATION

Various color options available, as well as custom designed handles with your brand logo or other design of your choice.

MATTE VOLUMISING STYLING POWDER

Instant root lift. Weightless texture.

STYLING PASTE

Low sheen, strong pliable hold. Humidity resistant, no flakes. Water soluble.

STYLING GEL

Firm hold. Low shine non-flaking gel. Suitable for all hair types.

DELUXE POMADE

Medium-high shine, strong pliable hold. Humidity resistant, no flakes

CLAY STYLER

Low-medium sheen, strong pliable hold. Humidity resistant, no flakes. Water soluble

m&u imports

HARD MUD

Low sheen, extra strong pliable hold. Humidity resistant, no flakes. Water soluble

muimports_au

CLIP Culture

Kervin Hiew, lead educator for Wahl was born and raised in Borneo (Land below the wind), Sabah, Malaysia. Growing up in a single parent home shaped him into an independent kid, and from as early as 11yrs old there was an inner desire to be a hairdresser and barber.

At 17, and straight out of high school Kervin joined a local hair academy and began his journey into the hairdressing industry. He built up his portfolio as a lecturer, hairstylist, and as a brand technician in L’Oreal, Malaysia. “With more than 13 years of accumulated experience in the industry I knew that the passion and drive that got me to this point would have no limits,” he says. “And this same drive gave me the gumption to venture into the barbering industry.”

We caught up with Kervin to chat about his career thus far, his role with Wahl professional and what’s ahead for this talented individual.

Can you tell us a little about your business, The Hairdressers Barbershop (THBX) and how it has grown since it was established in 2013? I’ve always lived with the notion that no dream is too small or too big. I measure my own capability based on how much I can contribute towards a decision. From the moment I decided that I would step out on my own and open my own shop, I began a methodical process step by step to make sure that I would get there. What started with 2 barbers (often just myself and a trusted friend) offering affordable prices with great skill in a small shop, soon became 6 barbers in a 2 floor storey building!

Like a bakery selling hot bread straight out of the oven, everyone waits in line to ‘GET IT WHILE ITS HOT!’

What initiated that second phase was seeing all the support we were getting and the clients that were waiting patiently for OUR SERVICES. It was clear that it was time to expand and grow the team. From recruiting and mentoring to establishing better working platforms for others,

who share in our passion, that was also enough to fuel me to push for better and higher standards for our industry.

What makes you passionate about education?

As an Educator, I aim to be a role model and inspire a strong sense of self-belief among other barbers. Learning is a two-way street – while we share our knowledge gained through years of experience, we learn something new about ourselves along the way. In doing so, I have been able to realise my dream of elevating the local barber scene; one barber at a time.

What does it mean to you to be the lead educator for WAHL in S.E. Asia and what does the role entail?

This opportunity shifted my life trajectory; when I applied to WAHL to be an educator, my intention was to gain exposure for our brand (THBX), to spread awareness about us! So, when WAHL came around full throttle, it started to do so much more for me and my personal goals; essentially it opened doors and allowed me to travel the world to finite my education as a WAHL educator. Back then, in 2017, I was the only WAHL educator in the region; now we have 9 educators in total from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand and I am the Lead Educator and Coordinator for WAHL in SE Asia!

How important are the tools you use to your career, shop and education?

Incredibly important! With the correct tools applied in the right situation and cutting technique, it doesn’t just provide us with the result that we want but it also makes things much more efficient, as it’s easier to achieve the results you need when you are armed with reliable and trustworthy tools.

Kervin Hiew

“I hope to not just inspire others but also to create more platforms for those that share my passion”

Do you have a favourite Wahl Clipper and if so which one?

Of course, I do! Hands down it’s the Cordless Magic Clip. It’s the tool that is loved by most people! The staggered tooth blades are just another awesome creation from WAHL to help barbers and hairdressers to cut hair from not just a visual sense but a technical one too. That helps a lot especially when we are cutting on short hair!

Do you have a signature style that you are best known for?

I would say my signature style is through listening. Although I’m a contemporary cutter I often like to mix classic and modern styles together. So even though creativity must flow, I still always implement the main fundamentals of technique and trends throughout, just with a twist!

Have you done any photoshoots for competitions and/or magazines and if so can you tell us about this experience?

Yes, I have. Back when I was starting out in the industry; exploring new things and trying out whatever I could to chase the dream. Whatever opportunity arose that allowed me to grow my exposure and finite my skillset I would do! Overall these are the things that added to my humbling experience and taught me the art of patience; patience because its physically taxing but also patience with myself to learn all the important details I needed; even down to the importance of lighting, body posture, facial features and styles and many other essential factors that play a role in overall aesthetic expectations.

We have heard a lot about ‘Culture Cribs’, can you tell us what it does and what is your involvement?

Culture Cribs is a community of mixed cultures and lifestyles. It is the first and only local platform that features a mixture a brands and services working together to provide a unique customer experience. Currently, the Culture Cribs Community consists of 4 different businesses under one roof: Tattoo Service, Hair Salon, Lash Studio & Drinks Bar! The idea for this is to encourage and spread #CONNECTION and creativity within the same workspace. It’s always fun to work in a place where people truly believe in their craft and have great passion for their work.

And finally, where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

My dream is always to elevate the local barber industry to a higher and greater level. Setting a bar for the industry is what I have strived to do since day one. In 5 years’ time, I hope to not just inspire others but also to create more platforms for those that share my passion and want an opportunity to build a career. So… big picture goal for me at this point is to run a chain of barbershops!

SPEED DATE WITH KERWIN:

FAVOURITE FOOD: Without hesitation, my favourite food has got to be HOTPOT and those around me will tell you that too!

FAVOURITE DESTINATION: Anywhere with a mix of culture! I like to explore new cultures as it opens my insight and help me put things in more perspective to understand different values in life! However, If I had to choose 1, I would choose Thailand, great food, great people!

MUSIC YOU ARE LISTENING TO NOW: Lofi has become one of the longest playlists that appear as my music suggestion! It helps me to calm my busy mind and the same time helps me stay creative!

IF YOU WEREN’T A BARBER/HAIRDRESSER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A famous musician? Haha, since it was one of my choices to go to between hairdressing & culinary. I guess with my personality and work ethic I’ve learnt over the decade, I know I have the intestinal fortitude to pursue anything – so as long as I really want it to happen…. It will!

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE INDUSTRY WHAT WOULD IT BE? The hair industry has been amazing. It has its own eco system and I think it is beautiful. Things can be different from one place to another; but to me it’s the uniqueness of it that makes it so beautiful. I don’t think I would change it but more so maybe improvise it for the better of the next industry generation!

Diary of an Educator

BY FRASER FORSEY

This is Frasers’ first installation as Australian Correspondent. We will follow Fraser for the year, hear about what events he has been involved with and been to and also, get an amazing insight into what’s happening on the ground Australia and New Zealand wide, in terms of what our industry is wanting to learn about, look at and talk about in real-time…

Over the last 12 weeks I have been working with so many amazing talented barbers and hairdressers around the country. With the team of educators at Barber Temple, it has allowed us to offer more education and collaborate with a lot of the amazing brands and business’s, essentially being able to be in more than one place at a time has been a blessing.

Probably the first thing to share would be the incredible response to the Temple team that I have received, it has been mind-blowing, so many to thank for coming through or sharing on socials.

Something I am super passionate about as without them in our industry, the barbering trade would soon disappear is apprentices. So proud to say we now at Temple have just shy of 100 apprentices on board with us, which the team and I are so grateful for.

My Schedule went something like this…

So, we kicked off with a handful of education workshops at Barber Temple, I partnered with Clipper Kayne and held a 2-day Bootcamp and look and learn show. We had a great turn out of about 35 barbers and hairdressers from Brisbane, Gold Coast and even Mackay.

Steve Purcell Founder of Uppercut held a couple of shows and workshops which are always incredible with his 20+ years’ experience in the barbering world delivering his traditional roots of cutting.

Bootcamps have been kicking off really strong with barbers upskilling over an intensive non-accredited learning style over an extended couple of days and also had Alicia Robinson from Cut and Coat Blackwater North Queensland

come down and spend 5 days with our educators and myself for a really intense 5-day bootcamp. Our resident educator Anthony held a 3-day bootcamp in Mackay with a team of apprentices at Jays Barber Co diving into all the practical aspects of barbering and inspiring them with the fundamental techniques of barbering.

Adding colour to mix…

We kicked off our first colour workshop focusing on modern fade techniques and bleach trends we are seeing in our industry; this was led by two amazing educators Kat Cruz & Holly Breen. This was great as it brought together both the hairdressing and barbering techniques and merged them into one amazing collaborative workshop. I am seeing and feeling that all aspects of barbering and hairdressing are influencing and crossing over each other more and more now which is so great and allows it to become more creative and challenging.

Then we headed to Perth with a team of 3 educators and held an apprentice bootcamp for Tommy Gun’s over 5 days, wow apprentices are just getting better and better with all the resources, social and online content growing and advancing the talent is just incredible all across Australia.

Uppercut Deluxe education team led by Steve Purcell were next up to hold a show at Temple with 80 barbers from Tommy Gun’s Australia all coming together for a night of timeless classics. This show was the beginning of a few that we offered around the country with another show at an awesome venue in Sydney called Harrys where we had another 40 barbers come together and the last stop in Adelaide.

TOMMY GUN’S FORUM

We kicked off our 1st hands on workshop with TAFE in Bundaberg for the year with barber influencer Clipper Kayne, this was a great turn out of hairdressers and barbers from all walks of our industry.

One of the coolest and biggest things we have put together over the last few months was an event we held with ANDIS and CLUB products at Temple launching the brand-new Re-Surge foil shaver, planning, and facilitating events on this level are a huge part of the reason why I could never do anything else. Bringing together some of the best talent in education, best products, and a room full of about 170+ Barbers and Hairdressers who all share the same love, passion and care for 1 thing………. Hair!

I remember getting home at about 1am from the event and scrolling through social media trying to turn off my brain in bed and calm down from the excitement and I was just blown away by video after video, message after message of how positively impacted our industry was by the event. Great feeling!

A huge amount of regional travel over the last few weeks, and honestly always refreshing as obviously in regional towns etc there isn’t much on offer for education or peers in the industry to get excited about or sometimes being in a smaller town there isn’t as much competition so it can become a bit trend stale or not as challenging.

I so refreshing, as anyone I have ever thankfully worked with regionally are always so extra grateful and eager to take on everything. In regional communities we are offering and holding a lot more tailored education privately in salon or shop upskilling qualified seniors or training apprentices, there has always been good offer of funding for regional education so it’s a great assistance for small businesses to access.

Tailored workshops across many places such as Gippsland, North Queensland, regional NSW and even in New Zealand. I flew over to NZ late April to learn about the barbering industry and plan an education tour in mid-June. I was blown away by the raw talent and to see the love for the craft over there. I was lucky enough to meet some of the legends of the industry and see some incredible barbershops and academies all sharing the same love for what we do here in Aus. We have been invited to educate and present at NZ Hair and Barber expo in Auckland in Mid-June over a couple of days with Clipper Kayne, Anthony Nafatali and myself. We then have partnered with Cut Above Academy in Auckland for a 2-day bootcamp and look and learn showcase at night, what an amazing academy for NZ also. Then heading south to Hamilton and Wellington for some more education, really looking forward to this trip.

One place that means a lot to me is Gippsland in regional Victoria, I have been so grateful to have worked here for the past 7 years roughly with some incredible salons, barbershops, and wholesalers. I was overwhelmed with excitement to be able to finally fly back to Melbourne for the 1st time since the beginning of covid, and we weren’t disappointed. Kicking off a 2-day bootcamp with Norris and seeing so many excited and enthused like minded people who were pumped to be able to sit in a room full of industry peers again. Caught up with lots of customers and friends from within the industry from Melbourne all the way out to Bairnsdale. We have partnered with an amazing shop out at Bairnsdale for a 5-day Bootcamp in late May, can’t wait for this one and to share with you about it in next issue.

@barbereducationbyfraser

@barbertempleaus

ANTHONY NAFATALI

STEVE PUCELL

FRASER FORSEY

JORDAN TABAKMAN

FRASER FORSEY

KLIPPER KANE

Collaboration Over Competition

CONNECTING THE INDUSTRY, ONE CITY AT A TIME

On Saturday night, the 2nd of April, AREA Academy brought their “RE: CONNECT” fundraiser for the Jack Reed Foundation to Adelaide, SA!

Over the past few years, the team at AREA have brought their “RE: CONNECT” show across Australia to bring the industry back together in a fun and collaborative way. Starting in Melbourne, then to Brisbane, Sydney and most recently Adelaide. Raising $15,000 along the way for the Jack Reed Foundation!

The Jack Reed Foundation is an organisation that is creating opportunities for life transformation. Through their “99 New Beginnings” initiative, they are giving underprivileged youth from the disadvantaged areas of Brisbane a life-changing opportunity at a fully funded apprenticeship in barbering.

Giving them a sustainable pathway into our industry where they wouldn’t have had the chance before. The initial idea was that they would train the students from on-site shipping containers in Brisbane, but their biggest obstacle was finding someone to teach and run the container as a barbershop.

Eoin McCarthy from AREA had the idea to connect The Jack Reed Foundation with The Barber Academy, based on the Gold Coast and a new relationship was formed. The Barber

Academy will now be taking on the students and training them by giving them a scholarship pathway to a Certificate III in Barbering.

This news was announced in Adelaide on the 2nd of April, hence The Barber Academy’s involvement with RE: CONNECT.

They have recently collaborated with the team at AREA to provide their certificate III students and trainers with access to ‘The Network’ which is AREA Academy’s online education platform. This newly formed relationship has broken down traditional barriers within the industry and is led from a place of collaboration not competition - with the ultimate aim of providing a better future for our industry.

The event in Adelaide saw roughly 60 stylists within the Adelaide hair community come hang out at Attaboy Barbershop in Kent Town to “Network, Socialise and Learn”. 10 of Adelaide’s finest kindly donated their time to share their knowledge and expertise with the attendees whilst all raising much-needed funds for the amazing initiative that is The Jack Reed Foundation.

The line-up included: Biftu Gudina, Leigh Winsor, and Eoin McCarthy of AREA. The current AHFA Australian Men’s Hairdresser of The Year, Luke Munn. Tom Wynn and Emma

Everyone helped to raise $3500 which will go towards supporting the next generation of the industry. This was helped by the amazing donations from the event sponsors Motion, Dyson, Andis, Kofer, Osaka, Pivot Point, Barber Brands International and ‘The Network’ by AREA Academy themselves.

The Jack Reed Foundation and AREA Academy would also like to thank Robby Lippett from Attaboy for providing the beautiful space for this awesome event.

Stay tuned for the next “RE: CONNECT” event later this year. The team at AREA have every intention of bringing the event to Perth and New Zealand!

BE THE NEXT FLATFORM ARTIST/ EDUCATOR

Wait WHAT? That’s right, fancy yourself as the next big thing, got skillz you think could help make our industry a little more complete with them in it? This is like ‘Open Mike Night” or “Australia’s Got Talent” for budding Barber educators/ artists. What an insane opportunity! We talk to Eoin…

Eoin, I believe AREA Academy will be running the “Barber Hub” at Hair Festival. What can we expect?

Yes, we are running the Barber Hub in support of our friends, the Jack Reed Foundation. Dyson, The Barber Academy and Motion Lab will be collaborating with us on this project. Our goal is to make the Barber Hub a collaborative space in which we can connect with everyone in the industry.

It’s another attempt by us to bring the hairdressing and barbering worlds closer together.

You can expect to see the next generation of emerging talent being given an opportunity and platform to propel their career to the next level.

Events like Hair Festival have been a pivotal part of my journey through the industry. It was at these events that I got given the opportunity to share my work and education so now I want to pass that opportunity on to the people who deserve it!

We will be accepting expressions of interest until the 31st of May & announcing the line-up on June 1st…

How can expressions of interest be submitted for participation on the stand?

We will be selecting some people to join us not only based on skill but how they will align with our purpose, mission, and values. We are big on our “why”, hence why we called our education show at Hair Festival “The Wonder of Why”.

If you are interested or know someone who might be - scan the QR code below and follow the appropriate link, fill out the form and hopefully it’s YOUR time!

Where else can we find you at Hair Festival & beyond?

As mentioned above, we are also presenting our education show “The Wonder of Why” on Monday at 4.45pm. This will be a very interactive keynote type presentation delving into all the aspects of our lives that have helped us achieve in our careers.

We want to help people in discovering their power through personal brand which will allow them to live a life by design.

This is a once off - so we don’t recommend missing this one!

I will also be representing Dyson on the RealTalk technology panel, and we will also be judging the Barberstreet competition.

You can follow us on our journey beyond Hair Festival by scanning the QR code below…”

@area_academy @jackreedfoundation

Marie from Attaboy. Johnny Georgiou from The Barbery - The Craft of a Barber. Kieren Kuzyk from The Barber Academy in Gold Coast, who is originally from Adelaide. Celine from Chop Chopp’s Barbershop and Lisa Robertson from Pipsqueak in Saigon.

CHASING THE VISION

What a special barber story this is, it has it all, a young individual looking for direction in a world with too many conforms and restraints for his liking, finds where he belongs… his purpose, and then realizes his creative dreams and excels to a place he only ever dreamt of.

By his own admission he reaches his goals by trial-and-error and by challenging himself to get to there.

His work is totally on-point which is probably why he has been snapped up by Andis as a National Educator. He is on the cusp of opening his first Barber Studio in Melbourne and very generously gives us unfettered access to the whole process he experienced in doing so plus so much more….

Let’s meet:

MOE DIEDERICKS

First, I’d like to thank you all for taking the time to stop and read about my journey in this wonderful and rewarding industry. I’m 31 years old and was born in South Africa. My Family moved to Australia when I was 5 years old, so I’ve definitely taken on the Aussie culture.

I come from a family of 5. Mum, Dad, 1x brother and 2x sisters. I had a very loving and supportive upbringing. Whatever I wanted to do I knew I had the support from my family which really helped in my situation because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after finishing year 12.

I knew I was the creative type, but I didn’t know where that could take me, especially when you think of a creative industry as a whole there are so many things to do. With being so undecisive I thought that the only way to make a good income was to put on a tie every day for work, so I got into Real Estate. I hated it. The ongoing negativity from clients trying to list their properties on the market. Doorknocking every day to pretty much force them to sell their home just so you could make a living. Mentally it was destroying me.

Hunger wasn’t an issue. Passion was.

After resigning from Real Estate, I then decided to get into something a bit less cutthroat… excuse the pun ha-ha... Car Salesman at Toyota. Notice how I still decided to keep looking for something in sales, man was I naïve. That didn’t last long either. To sit behind a desk and live on that hope method “hoping” that someone would walk in, “hoping” that I’d even get the chance to speak to them amongst the other 8 salesman that are floating around in the dealership.

While I was working in Real Estate, I had finally found my Barber, someone that I could trust to cut my hair. I used to be a fortnightly client coming in to see him wherever he was working at the time. He would change barbershops quite regularly. It didn’t faze me because I knew I would follow him wherever he would go.

Through this time making conversations and building that customer relationship I bloody told him everything! He knew I was unmotivated, and he knew I was lacking something. One day he just started randomly asking me these questions trying to figure out what I like and then he just said, “why don’t you become a barber or get into hairdressing, that’s how I started”.

I’m sitting there in the chair and I’m looking around the shop, everyone is smiling, and you could tell that he enjoyed what he was doing. Put it this way, if you looked up “passion” in the dictionary then you’d see a photo with this guy’s head next to the writing. 1 week later I resigned and started my journey at a small salon in a shopping centre close to me. I was enjoying it. I was sweeping most of the time and cutting foil for colour and cleaning the shop floor.

I’m someone that really researchers the ins and

outs of anything new that I’d be getting myself into, so I knew that I was going to be doing that for at least 1 year, so I was prepared… fast forward 9 months later, I just finished my blow wave and styling components in my apprenticeship, and I was doing that on the shop floor. It was such a great feeling. Saturdays were always busy at the shop, and we used to have morning meetings just to get everyone ready for what’s to come. The owner came in that morning and said that this will be our last day trading as they have gone bankrupt. I WAS DEVASTATED. All these thoughts in my head started coming, what will I do now, who is going to hire a mature age apprentice, what do I tell my parents?

I kept looking for another salon to work for, finally, I got accepted on my multiple SEEK applications by someone I’ll never ever forget and all he has done for me… Mr Tom Donato.

I’m sitting there in a salon chair waiting for the salon owner to come in, a man with white hair and a singlet drenched in water came and introduced himself. “Sorry I was just fixing something at the back” he said. Shook my hand and all I’m thinking is… “Fuck, this will be interesting” we had our meeting and said for me to come in for a trial and I accepted.

Nearly didn’t go. Thank God I did, I have learnt so much from this amazing man and all the people he has employed I worked alongside, that I will be forever grateful and implement his wisdom of business and passion, service and everything else I have learnt from my time with Tom into my own style of business and barbershop.

I have worked for Tom for 8 years and in the last 5 years he opened a barbershop which I begged to move there, and I was lucky enough to help run it with him and another barber that came from the salon as well. I’ve met a lot of interesting people along the way working in salons and barbershops and it never gets old. Every day is a different day filled with stories, life landmarks and emotions.

A LITTLE ON ANDIS AND BEING AND EDUCATOR…

I’ve been an Andis National Educator for 3 years now, hosting classes around Melbourne. So far, teaching everything about Andis and how to achieve the desired haircut and look the clients want using the tools made my Andis. Normally what happens in a class is that there will be either a fading, textured, medium and a long hair cut subject for the day. I will also be told prior to the class if there is a specific tool that requires a more in-depth explanation when it is time to using it on the demo.

Normally I have 2.5 hours to explain and execute a haircut on a model that I source and show them every detail on what I am doing, then they bring in their own model and use key points in their haircuts that I showed in my demonstration.

I oversee and supervise making sure I’m always around for any help or tips that I can give them

while they do the workshop bit of the day.

I hope to expand my education with Andis further and do more classes and spread my knowledge with passionate people that are keen on soaking in information and really want to better themselves.

Tell us all about your amazing shop Barber Shop that’s about to open… your business philosophy and beliefs towards the running of a modern barber shop in today’s world.

After the multiple lockdowns I decided that I wanted to go out on my own, I had always been looking online at spaces to rent but never went ahead with it. I was too comfortable where I was, and I felt that I needed a change in the industry but most definitely not out of the industry.

It was in lockdown 4/4 that I was actively looking, I finally found something that was worth enquiring about. I went to have a look and I just couldn’t stop smiling, I feel that I really had to resonate with a space before taking any further steps. It all started with a calculator, then went to an excel spreadsheet, then the lawyer and then an accountant. I signed the lease and I just had mixed emotions. Mainly scared because for me this was a huge step and I’ve always liked to be certain about things, but what I’ve learnt along the way is that a comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there, and life begins at the end of your comfort zone. It took me a while to build up the courage to tell my boss that I was resigning and when I did, I was so relieved because although there was that initial sadness from both parties, I felt that he was proud of me to take this step and build my own empire that like which he once did himself.

It is one thing to be a boss, another thing to be a mentor and a completely different thing to be a leader, and he was all of those and more. The day came! I picked up the keys and I reckon I sat in that empty dusty place for at least 2 hours just taking it all in knowing that I had a lot of work to do and to do everything right.

Being a creative I feel is an easy thing to envision something how you would want it to look. I was coming up with so many ideas for how I wanted the shop to look like. What structure I wanted in place, what was going to make me different from the salon or barber shop down the road, but I couldn’t think of a name for my space.

IT’S ALL IN THE NAME…

Envisioning something, having that vision for what I wanted… hang on… VISIONARY... wait no, too long, how could I make it more appealing. VSNRY?? No, I’m on the right track but it just doesn’t look right... what about VZNRY!? Yes!... I loved it! It looked sharper with the “Z” rather than the “s” being curved. I now know the stress of people choosing names for their newborn... because at the end of the day… This is my baby!

I believe that the game is changing. How many times have you heard “another barbershop”, “oh, I just feel like in the last 4 years barbershops have been popping up everywhere.”

SPOTLIGHT AUSTRALIA

cont’d from page 35

What makes you different from the barbershop or salon down the road?

Why do they keep coming back to you? What experience or service can you implement for the client that wants to jump ship or grabs them, and brings them to your space?

These are all the things that goes into your mind when you’re opening a shop. Don’t get me wrong, I have no fucking idea what it takes to run a business, but does anyone really have an idea? But you know what? I am going to learn as much as I can along the way and soak in as much information as I can (sounds like an apprentice doesn’t it).

And just a reminder to when you do decide to open your own shop, please go through your friends and clients for any work that you do on your shop, trust me, it builds a stronger connection and helps them out too. It lets them know that you listen and you’re willing to let them put a piece of their passion on your passion.

VZNRY is all about bridging the gap between salon and barbershop. Knowing how to cut hair… not how to do a haircut, understanding what the client wants and directing them in the way that they should go about their appearance. You don’t understand the power we have as stylists. When you do that wedding haircut, those photos and those special memories stay forever and you were a part of that, that job interview that requires 1 hour of impressing the new boss, you had something to do with that as well. Don’t ever forget how important you are to them and never forget your worth at the same time. I look forward to the support that I will be receiving from everyone in the industry and to whoever reads this because even though we are in different businesses, we are all in the same business.

Your work envelops many modern hairdressing and cutting techniques and classic barbering…. tell us about that…. can you please expand on where you see men’s grooming heading too and the skillsets we should be learning to be on top of our game?

Bridging that gap between salon and barbershop is a must. All the cutting techniques used in cutting “ladies’ hair” can all be used in cutting “men’s hair” and if you work in a barbershop, you’re going to be using more clippers than scissors.

When that one client comes in with long luscious hair amongst all the other 8 skin fades you’ve done for the day, you want to be 100% positive that you’re giving them what they want. It shouldn’t have to be a guessing game filled with thinning scissors and leaving their hair wet with sea salt spray telling them “It’s better to naturally dry it and see how it sets” … come on, we’ve all been in that situation. You are going to need the skills and wish or be glad you had them. In my apprenticeship I always used to shadow fully qualified stylists (watching and taking notes) picking up different ways to execute a haircut, asking question upon question upon question to the point of me draining them physically and mentally just so I can understand what they were trying to achieve, that’s how I came up with my own unique way of cutting.

If you understand hair 100% it really makes your

life easier, to the point where you don’t even think about what you’re doing, you’re just cutting and conversing with your client and getting to know them. I always used to watch YouTube videos as well and signing up to some online education to further my skills in cutting and styling.

I’ve noticed that men really are starting to take pride in their appearance now. Especially after lockdowns through covid. They were often getting someone like their flatmate to cut their hair and well….

However, what they did do with this time was take closer note of their appearances and evolve, we need to as well.

I really feel that the appreciation that we get now as professionals has come a long way in just 2 years of our customers being deprived of our services.

You shoot your work with a distinct style and unique look; do you take the images yourself? Expand on this a bit…. I’ve always dabbled in photography. Owning an SLR camera really made me learn about lighting and angles and that can be used on the technology that we have on our mobile phones. Surprisingly all I use now is my phone and an app to slightly tune the image into something that appeals a lot more to the human eye. It’s a trial-and-error situation with taking photos and that’s probably why I have over 7000 images on my camera roll. Small things like understanding where light is positioned and how much difference having the chin slightly up or down can make a huge change in the image. No neck wraps or hair on the cape or on the clients’ face, those are the little things I think of.

Moe, can you please give some inspirational words to the Barbers here who would one day like to open their own shop….

If you feel unmotivated where you are working or even if you don’t feel appreciated enough. Think long and hard about how you can change that. It is only you that can change that and no one else. I’ve learnt a lot with getting ready to open my Barber studio and I’ve taken it step by step. Don’t think that you have to do everything all at once. Take the desired time you need to do it right the first time.

Think about what you can offer to the hair industry as well as to the client. It’s a process, just like doing a fade. Start off with the first guideline and build up from there. You want to create a clean canvas in order for you to work properly and put the steps in place to execute what you want to achieve that. Have small weekly goals and have that special someone around to bounce ideas off and tell you the truth. I can only say one more thing and that is a big business starts small and chase the vision, not the money. The things you regret most in life are the risks you don’t take.

Thank you for having the time to read this and I really hope to hear from you on my social media and if you’re local and just want to have a chat please feel free to drop in, my door is always open.

@moediedericks_ @vznry_

HIGH PERFORMANCE GROOMING TOOLS FOR MEN!

HEAT STYLING...

BEARDS AND HAIR JUST GOT PERSONAL SECURITY!

BECOME A STOCKIST!

garagebarber.pro SUPPORT AUSTRALIANS BUY AUSTRALIAN.

REWRITING THE STANDARDS OF GROOMING

Henkel ANZ’s Beauty Care Professional business has officially launched STMNT, a new brand offering a range of effective, high-performing grooming goods with superior formulas and prestige packaging – designed to be accessible to all regardless of gender or style.

A team of disruptors in the barbering industry, creators Sofie Pok aka STAYGOLD (@STAYGOLD31), Julius Arriola aka JULIUS CVESAR (@JULIUSCAESAR) and Miguel Gutierrez aka NOMAD BARBER (@ NOMADBARBER) collaborated on the new collection to not only contribute to, but rewrite the standards of grooming.

Made up of four lines, one specifically curated by each creator and a general care line, the STMNT collection features 14 products ranging from shampoos, conditioners and all-in-one care products to pomades, sprays and powders for both long and short styles.

STAYGOLD

“There is so much we can do in a free-form art as barbering. It’s helped me elevate in so many ways as I connect with different people and inspiration from around the world.”

Designed by L.A-based, award-winning barber and international educator, Sofie Pok, the Staygold Collection is a genderless and lifestyle-driven 3-piece set designed to make an authentic, bold statement with a range that goes beyond the ordinary.

Sofie’s dedication to personal growth and technical perfection is reflected in the formulas – from powders to fibers to transformative textures. Products include STMNT Spray Powder, STMNT Wax Powder, and STMNT Fiber Pomade. “People know me as Staygold, I’m a barber from LA and I’ve been professionally working my craft since my early 20s. I believe what you get out of life is what you put in, so I strive to better myself every day. I share my experiences to leave our industry in a better place than when I started. My determination led me to become an international educator; I care a lot about teaching, so inspiring other stylists and barbers is what drives me! Cutting hair is about connecting with people. It means so much more than just putting hair on the floor. It’s more of an emotion that we pass along to people that we’ve come into contact with.

Life is what you make it, you shape your own future. I aim to shake up industry standards with a range that goes beyond the ordinary. I strive to go beyond what’s expected in all that I do. My dedication to personal growth and technical perfection is reflected in my formulas, each with unique qualities; powders, fibers and transforming textures.”

Staygold’s signature scent: an invigorating mix of citrus and peppermint, aquatic and woody notes.

JULIUS CVESAR

“Finding your own statement is super special. It should be something that comes from the heart. Be yourself. Make your statement. Manifest greatness.”

Designed by L.A. based barber, educator and show host Julius Arriola, the Julius Cvesar Collection aims to break the mold of grooming standards and inspire people to manifest their own statement in a bold way. These formulas are designed with the ability to cocktail, for truly custom-tailored styling. Products include STMNT Hairspray, STMNT Shine Paste, and STMNT Matte Paste.

“Known as Julius Cvesar in the barbering and social media worlds, I’ve been cutting hair since my early teens. Originally, I was a San Francisco Bay Area native, however I’ve since found myself in Los Angeles after wanting to venture out from being solely behind the chair. I’m an educator as well as an international platform artist; my work has taken me all over the world, from Japan to the UK (and everywhere in between!).

I didn’t start cutting hair because I wanted to, I did because I had to! I know what if feels like to come from a little, and I’ve used my passion for barbering to fuel the journey along the way. My desire to continuously innovate this industry doesn’t stop, it’s relentless; I’m here to share my vision with the world, as I translate my love for art and fashion into barbering.

Greatness comes from having wholehearted conviction in your beliefs. In this ever-evolving industry, my passion is to take grooming to the next level. I’ve developed my collection to deliver versatile performance, whether you are behind the chair or session styling. Shine, matte and everything in between – these formulas are designed with the ability to cocktail, for truly custom-tailored styling.”

Julius Cvesar’s signature scent: a twist of creamy coconut and sandalwood with inflexions of orris.

NOMAD BARBER

“Traveling the world inspires me in my craft and creation. Embrace the unknown and let the journey become part of you.”

Designed by Miguel Gutierrez, UK based traveling barber, photographer, and storyteller, this collection blends his love of travel and photography with a passion for people and barbering to master his craft.

Miguel, STMNT’s Nomad Barber, brings the very best of barbering from around the world to perfect a range of classical products, including STMNT Grooming Spray, STMNT Classic Pomade, and STMNT Dry Clay.

“Originally from Liverpool in the UK, professionally I’m known as Nomad Barber. I’ve been barbering since my teenage years, but I definitely became more prominent in the industry when I decided to go around the world and document the barbering trade. I realized that there wasn’t much information about international barbering, especially not from countries like India, Nepal or China; I saw a real opportunity to blend my love for travel and photography with my passion for people and barbering. Being able to visit so many countries and meet so many barbers was amazing; I’ve learnt so much from my journeys both personally and in my profession. The symbolic side of cutting hair is fascinating; from a baby’s first ‘full moon’ hair cut in China, to the status hair has for the African Masai man. Travel has been a big inspiration for me, my craft and my barbershops in London and Berlin.

I’ve absorbed the time-honored art of barbering from across the globe; this unique knowledge has allowed me to perfect a range of classical products, upgraded for today’s grooming needs. This authentic collection doesn’t just represent my travels, but the experience of the very best in barbering from around the world.”

Nomad Barber’s signature scent: a fresh mix of spices, lavender and a hint of wood.

STMNT CARE

Together the founding collective have also created a 5-piece line up of high-performing care products designed to create the perfect canvas for styling. The STMNT Care core collection includes STMNT Shampoo, STMNT Conditioner, STMNT All-In-One Cleanser, STMNT Beard Oil, and a STMNT Bath & Body Cleansing Bar. Developed specifically to care for all hair and beard types, the high-performance formulas have been infused with activated charcoal to purify and invigorating menthol for that extra fresh, clean feeling.

STMNT signature scent: fresh citrus and lavender with tonka bean. Beard oil signature scent: citrus with incense and woody undertones

STMNT goes beyond the product, this is a brand with purpose. STMNT is grounded in the idea that everyone has an authentic statement to make and people should stand up for what they believe in.

For more information on stocking in your shop please contact STMNT.AU@HENKEL.COM

STMNT is brought to you by the founding collective: Julius Arriola aka Julius Cvesar (@juliuscaesar), Sofie Pok aka Staygold (@staygold31) and Miguel Gutierrez aka The Nomad Barber (@nomadbarber).

WE ARE BARBERS BY TRADE AND CREATORS BY NATURE. TOGETHER WE’VE CREATED A BRAND TO REWRITE THE STANDARDS OF GROOMING. THIS IS OUR STATEMENT. WHAT’S YOURS?

AS CREATIVES AND INNOVATORS, WE CAME TOGETHER TO CRAFT EACH OF OUR PRODUCTS FROM SCRATCH. WE PUT EVERYTHING INTO THIS. OUR INSPIRATION. OUR KNOWLEDGE. OUR PASSION. WE PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES AND DEVELOPED EXCEPTIONAL FORMULATIONS. WE TESTED THEM UNTIL THEY EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS. THE RESULT: THREE DISTINCT STYLING COLLECTIONS, ACCOMPANIED BY A 5-PIECE CARE LINE.

A LUXURY MEN’S RANGE THAT CATERS FROM HEAD TO TOE

BY REX A.C. SILVER

VITAMAN

This is an incredible story of an Australian men’s product company that has gone from strength to strength over the years with very solid success around the Globe and now, has its sights firmly focused on Australia and the Australian Barber Market.

We spoke to Clare Castles, the Founder and Director of the Australian company, VITAMAN Global.

Can you tell us a little about how VITAMAN Came to be?

Initially and to this day, I have had amazing shareholders that believe in what I do and have been behind me all the way. My incredible lawyer, a former Socceroo; the founder of an international Business Training Company called Business Blueprint; an international Marketing Expert based in Paris; a Senior Graphic Designer from the Hair & Beauty Industry and a few FF’s (family & friends).

One of my shareholders (Dale Beaumont of Business Blueprint) introduced me to a good friend of his in the USA, an Influencer called Antonio Centeno of Real Men Real Style. Antonio has 3million YouTube followers that he speaks to daily on men’s

style, fashion, grooming and everything else that men want to know.

Antonio and I formed another Australian company VITAMAN USA focussing on the USA (www.vitaman.com). We started the month before COVID and have fortunately grown steadily every month. Our team managing this company are based in USA, Budapest, Croatia, and Ukraine. Plus, a team of talented copywriters in Australia, USA, and UK.

Can you tell us the history of when you launched the range, and the importance of using Australian botanicals?

I was previously a part owner and colourist, in a salon in Newtown called “A Bit on the Side”, which was an extremely successful salon. After a divorce, I became a registered training organisation (RTO) teaching Photographic, Special Effects Makeup and Beauty Therapy. I was also contracted to do a lot of Corporate Grooming Lecturing for companies like Qantas, Major Banks, and Hotels. While I was training the new recruits at Qantas in hair and make-up presentation, I literally had nothing to recommend for the men. I realised there was a huge gap in the market for men, there was only After Shave cologne/fragrances.

As a Beauty Therapist, I realised that men’s skin concerns were not being addressed properly, so I started thinking of my ideal business model and a basic product range. I wanted to create a product that I could

export. I wanted to create “Australia” in a bottle, I wanted a global business and initially, I wanted it to be online. Most importantly, the range had to be natural, and antioxidant based (Vitamins A, C & E). So, I launched VITAMAN, the first e-commerce grooming site for men in Australia in 1999. We launched with 9 skincare products, all natural, using unique Indigenous ingredients from Australia. In fact, it was the first men’s brand to use Kakadu Plum, Grass Lilly, Lemon Myrtle, Quandong and Aniseed Myrtle.

It’s generally exciting to be FIRST at something, but it was scary being the first e-commerce site for men, and we found out the hard way that no one trusted buying online. And in 1999 men weren’t convinced that they needed skincare, let alone know what an Antioxidant was!

Back then, I really believed in Antioxidants being the future of skincare, and they are still regarded as a necessity now, both taken internally for health and used externally in skincare formulations.

“My goal here in Australia is to offer a WIN/WIN/WIN. Win for the Salon owner, a Win for the Customer and a Win for VITAMAN.”

Clare Castles

After 20 years of international success, you are now seriously launching and presenting to Barbers here in Australia following tried and tested results from men’s specialists’ salons and spas from around the globe, can you tell us more?

I know business experts say, make a success in your own country before exporting, but the problem was that I was not only trying to launch a new product/ brand, but also create a new channel, being The Male Market, which was way, too early for Australia.

Being based in Sydney, I was fortunate to participate in many events with Austrade, including the 2000 Olympics and received interest from a few international companies. Our first export customer was France, and they are still my European distributor today as well as being the Responsible Person (RP) which is required to export to Europe.

Austrade were brilliant helping me in the early days. We launched in the Australian Embassy in Paris, where you could almost touch the Eiffel Tower, it was the perfect location for press and buyers. We entertained press and buyers with Australian Wine and Food and had some famous rugby players.

Austrade also helped launch us in Canada and USA including the G’Day USA events, where the Aussie celebrities were given the product and great photo opportunities. We also did the Emmys and Academy Awards. In Paris, we started at the famous ‘Galeries LaFayette’ Department Store where we were the leading brand for 6 years starting with 9 products. If you were in Galleries, salons and spas wanted you too. It was different to the typical retail v’s professional attitude.

The opportunity arose to cater to hotels spas for male business travellers, so we extended the range with comprehensive Body & Sports categories, as well as professional massage and body treatments. We became members of various Spa organisations and whilst we never advertised, we were contacted by Spa Directors around the world to develop exclusive treatments and products for this fast-growing area. Our spa growth has always been by referral. We’ve been so grateful to win many ASIA Spa Magazine awards for Best Products and Best Treatments, voted by industry peers, not based on advertising dollars spent!

Some of our Spa stockists past and present include W Hotel Taiwan, Grand Hyatt Singapore, Park Hyatt Doha, The Savoy Portugal, Four Seasons Philadelphia, Conrad Bali and then in 2009 we won a global contract with Hilton Hotels worldwide to be the exclusive men’s brand in their eforea spa concept. In fact, the Global Spa Director for Hilton first sampled our ‘Shave Oil’ and fell in love with the natural aroma and texture, then contacted me.

Our entry into the Middle East came about when an extremely smart businesswomen saw VITAMAN at Galleries Lafayette and went on to create the most impressive chain of Executive Grooming Lounges for men, exclusively using VITAMAN, called “1847” (the year the safety razor was invented). We worked closely developing unique

treatments and trained their team in Dubai. We’re still present in 1847 today. I’ve travelled a lot attending trade shows in USA, Europe and Asia and trained distributors and major hotel spas around the world. My daughter Lauren who is a Beauty Therapist lived in New York and launched us at Barneys NYC, LA, and Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the iconic department store closed in 2020.

It was at Barneys where we developed the quick, “Groom and Zoom” treatments. The express facial treatments always started conversations about the products, which always turned into retail sales. What better way to try a product, experience it then purchase it? The New York men really know how to groom for success, and we were in the top 3 brands sold at Barneys for 9 years. We extended into haircare and attended Cosmoprof, in Las Vegas, where I met our Middle Eastern Distributor who runs a large Distribution Business servicing salons, spas and barbers (from single operators to executive grooming lounges).

You have a massive Star, Tim Cahill, on board as an ambassador and partner, how did that come about?

I was introduced to a potential Chinese Distributor who wanted VITAMAN for China, however he strongly suggested that we engage a sports ambassador preferably soccer, such as Harry Kewell. That night I went to our local Italian Restaurant, Gigino’s and spoke to the owner Atilio who is a mad soccer fan and said what do you think of Harry Kewel? He said, “I’ve heard he’s about to retire”. As I live with a fanatical sports lover with Foxtel upstairs, Foxtel downstairs, I asked “what about that Timmy Cahill” as I’d heard his name so often. Atilio said one of his mates was friends with

the Cahills. Tim was living in New York at the time playing for New York Red Bulls and his parents were leaving in a couple of days to visit him. So, a few emails and a box of product samples later, lead to an amazing business relationship with Tim.

My team and I spent time with Tim in China doing a launch with the NSW Business Chamber. Tim would have to be the smartest man in sport, I have so much respect for him as a sportsman, father, and businessman. He’s been incredible with introductions for VITAMAN, there’s not many people he doesn’t know. Tim is currently living and working in Doha and is an ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He’s working on getting VITAMAN into Qatar!

Where do you see VITAMAN positioning itself in the product market here in Australia within Barber Shops?

The Australian Barbering industry has come such a long way from when we launched in 1999, however, many Barbers could really look to improving their business by focusing more on the customer experience. Customers can go anywhere for a great cut, but when they are made to feel important with an exceptional/memorable experience, this is what keeps them coming back to you and happily paying more.

It makes much more sense keeping the customer you have happy and returning regularly, rather than trying to find a new customer. Spoil them with great service and extra add ons!

My goal here in Australia is to offer a WIN/ WIN/WIN. Win for the Salon owner, a Win for the Customer and a Win for VITAMAN.

How? By helping salons and barbers make more money by offering simple, add-on services (at minimal cost) performed at the basin or if they have a treatment room. This creates a loyal, returning customer that loves his experience (and talks about it!)

And lastly, being proudly Australian, it would be so good if we could all try to support Australian Made and Australian Businesses.

COVID taught us all great lessons with the shortage of overseas packaging, ingredients, and logistic costs going through the roof, it just makes sense to BUY AUSSIE.

Tim Cahill

VITAMAN CAN EARN YOU EXTRA DOLLARS BY WORKING SMARTER – NOT HARDER.

BY CLARE CASTLES

Imagine this scenario, and I bet we are talking to most of you reading here, you have successful businesses with a finite number of chairs, 2 – 4 – 6… and you are running pretty much to capacity with the numbers of customers each chair, each operator, each day, each week.

To make more money you could:

A. Put your prices up. (We will be talking about this and much more in our blogs on our wholesale portal website)

B. Expand and open another location. (Again, check for blogs soon)

C. Incorporate other services that will increase your income by increasing your clients average service value (ASV).

Let’s look at C.

Introducing VITAMAN and implementing these simple services will not only set you apart from your competition, but it will also lift the perception of professionalism of your shop from your customers point of view. It will open the doors to creating a whole new relationship with your customers and open a gateway for them on a whole new world of aftercare retail options that they will love you for! (So will their partners just quietly).

Here’s a few easy-to-do in store services that can do just that. These mini services are perfect to have any member of staff perform, from a junior apprentice to senior stylist. With such a minimal Cost of Goods (COG) they can be a complimentary valueadded treatment (creating loyal customers) or a way to increase your Average Service Value (ASV).

All salons/barber shops have different pricing structures, these are just a guideline of potential income.

Groom & Zoom 1:

No one enjoys the spikey hairs that remain around the neckline. So, after the haircut and before styling/drying, take the customer back to the basin for quick face & neck cleanse then moisturiser. Or include add a face scrub

Option (a) Cleanse, Moisturiser

Time 2-3 mins

COG $0.60

Potential Income $10 extra

Option (b) Cleanse, Scrub, Moisturiser

Time 4-5 mins.

COG $1.14

Potential Income $15 - $20 extra

Wholesale Product investment (3 x 500ml products) = $130.00

Gives you 250 treatments = $2500 to $5000 potential income. Great retail opportunity with customer trying before buying.

Groom & Zoom 2:

Who doesn’t enjoy a scalp massage? Spoil your customer while the scalp treatment is processing with a face & neck cleanse then moisturiser.

Scalp Treatment with Cleanse and Moisturise:

Time 10-15mins

COG $0.88

Potential Income $20 - $25 extra

Wholesale Product Investment (3 x 500ml products) = $157.00

Gives you 250 treatments = $5000 to $6250 potential income

Groom & Zoom 3:

The ultimate reviver to rejuvenate the skin after a big night or jetlag. Cleanse, Anti-aging individual disposable sheet Masque (10 min) and Moisturiser

Time 13 mins.

COG $12.60

Potential Income $25 - $30 extra

Wholesale product investment (2 x 500ml products) = $122

Individual Masques @ $12 each.

Gives you 250 treatments = $6250 - $7500

Groom & Zoom 4:

Smart operators can perform mini facials at the basin or if you have a dedicated room. Transforming tired dull skin.

Cleanse, Scrub, Massage, Masque, Moisturiser

Time 15-20 mins

COG $2.11

Potential Income $30 - $40 extra

Wholesale product investment (5 x 500ml products) = $267.00

Gives you approx. 250 treatments = $7500 to $10,000 potential income

You will find that after you perform these services and your customers experience our beautiful products firsthand, the feel, the pure Australian scents, the performance of VITAMAN products and results they will encounter and see for themselves right there in-store, your customers will be immediately impressed!!

You’ve taken the care to present them with another level of grooming and guess what? it’s come from a trusted source they already confidently choose to use for their grooming needs… YOU!!

You will be in a unique position to prescribe a selection of the VITAMAN range for your customers to take home and, just as you do when you are styling their hair, you gave them a personalised class on how to use the products best for themselves. WIN/WIN/ WIN!!

@vitamanglobal www.vitaman.com.au

For more than 22 years VITAMAN has been a pioneer in Men's grooming sold in leading Salons and Spas worldwide.

If you're looking to significantly increase your income and impress your customers with quick add-on services, then set up a wholesale account and we’ll show you how.

WHY PARTNER WITH US?

Australian Made & Owned | Fully Comprehensive Range Award Winning Products & Treatments | No minimums Natural, Organic, Vegan | Afterpay Available | Free Delivery

Good Hair Day

NeoGraft, a minimally invasive hair transplant that leaves no visible scarring, is transforming the hairlines of thousands of men and women around the world.

Distributed by Venus Concept, the NeoGraft hair restoration system features semi-automated Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and implantation technology that enables doctors to restore patients’ hairlines quickly and effectively under light sedation in a two-step procedure:

1. The doctor (or assisting technician) uses NeoGraft’s semiautomated handpiece to gently extract hair follicles in naturally occurring groups of one to three hairs from the patient’s donor site (usually at the back of the scalp).

2. After sorting the follicles by size, the doctor (or assisting technician) numbs the recipient sites and strategically implants individual follicles (grafts) in balding areas to create a naturallooking hairline.

As the NeoGraft transplant is performed without a scalpel and therefore requires no stiches, the patient can go home immediately after the procedure, and then after about three days of downtime, return to work and other activities.

Individual results vary (depending on the patient’s age, stage of hair loss, donor-site, number of grafts, etc.) but NeoGraft has already proved to be an overwhelming success in the US for

over 10 years with an average ‘Worth It’ rating of 95 percent on RealSelf.com and most patients reporting that they ‘look more like they used to’.”

Not surprisingly then, NeoGraft is proving to be equally popular in Australia.

Dr Matthew Holman, the founder of The Medical Hair Institute in South Australia, is an early adopter of the innovative technology.

Five years after launching the Dr Matthew Holman MH Clinics in North Adelaide, he purchased a NeoGraft device and opened a second clinic, The Medical Hair Institute, dedicated exclusively to hair restoration.

Dr Holman took time out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his experience helping “men and women reclaim their hair, without traditional invasive hair transplant surgery”.

When and why did you decide to open The Medical Hair Institute (TMHI)?

The Medical Hair Institute (TMHI) opened in 2021 as I had a growing number of requests for hair transplants from patients who were coming to see me for PRP Hair Regeneration.

Before and immediately after a NeoGraft hair transplant

Hair restoration is an expanding area especially as men as taking more pride in their appearance and increasing numbers of women are seeking help for their hair loss.

It is truly wonderful to see the difference NeoGraft makes to people’s lives; it is amazing to watch them regain their confidence as their hair grows back.

How does The Medical Hair Institute (TMHI) differ to other hair restoration clinics?

Our clinic is actually very different to other hair restoration clinics. We pride ourselves in offering a trusted respectful, private and personalised, and comfortable and professional practice that is 100 percent centred around the patient.

We offer a complete and focussed service from the initial consultation through the entire journey of new hair growth with three main treatments: PRP Hair Generation, Hair Growth Medications and NeoGraft Hair Transplant Surgery.

We also have an inhouse hair studio that cuts and styles patients’ hair throughout their hair growth journey.

When and why did you decide to offer PRP hair regeneration treatments in your aesthetic clinic?

I have been offering PRP Hair Regeneration since MH Clinics first opened in 2016.

I have always been passionate about non-surgical and noninvasive cosmetic procedures for both men and women and knew that hair loss was a common problem.

I chose PRP Hair Regeneration to treat hair loss as it is a natural and low risk procedure that works by promoting blood vessel growth in the scalp, which in turn means more blood and oxygen supply to the hair follicle to enhance hair growth.

When and why did you decide to offer NeoGraft hair restoration procedures in the clinic?

After several years performing PRP Hair Regeneration treatments, I knew that the treatments couldn’t provide good enough results for all my patients, so I knew I had to offer them something more. Hair transplant surgery seemed like a good option for me to consider as I have had extensive surgical training. After thoroughly researching all the hair transplant systems available on the market, I discovered that nothing compared to the state-of-the-art NeoGraft so knew it was the right treatment to invest in.

How does NeoGraft compare to other hair transplants?

The two main hair transplant methods performed around the world are FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction).

During a FUT transplant, commonly referred to as the ‘stripmethod’, a doctor surgically removes a horizontal strip of skin from the back of the patient’s scalp, stitches the resulting wound, and then transfers follicular units of one to four hairs to balding areas.

During a FUE transplant, a doctor gently extracts follicles (grafts) directly from the scalp, without using a scalpel and then transplants them to balding areas.

I believe FUE transplants are the best choice for most hair loss patients as the minimally invasive procedure creates full naturallooking hairlines with no visible scars – and NeoGraft is the world’s best FUE transplant.

What are the main benefits of a NeoGraft transplant compared to traditional FUE transplants? NeoGraft eliminates the inefficiencies of manual extractions and implants so doctors can perform FUE transplants faster and more

effectively with less pain and discomfort for patients – and yield superior clinical results.

The semi-automated device delivers such superior results, including an average graft survival higher than 90 per cent, due to three key factors:

- During graft harvesting, the device eliminates loss of fluid and protects grafts through a vacuum seal

- During recipient site creation, the device delivers more standardised implants

- During graft implanting, the ‘no-touch implanter’ causes the least amount of bulb trauma.

Apart from the final result (a full natural-looking hairline), NeoGraft delivers three other significant benefits to patients:

- Before a NeoGraft transplant: No major preparation is required.

- During a NeoGraft transplant: There is minimal pain and discomfort as no surgical incisions are made.

- After a NeoGraft transplant: Most patients can go home immediately and, after around three days of downtime, return to work and their everyday activities.

What sort of response is the NeoGraft generating at The Medical Hair Institute (TMHI)?

We have had a terrific response to NeoGraft from new and existing patients.

At this stage the best response has probably been from some of our patients who have had PRP Hair Regeneration treatments and now want to take the next step and improve their results further with a hair transplant.

What sort of results are you achieving with the NeoGraft?

We have been very excited by the results we are seeing with our patients. It is especially satisfying when they come in and are so happy with their new hairlines.

In fact, thanks to the success we have had, I have been appointed a Key Opinion Leader and Head Trainer for NeoGraft.

In this role I share my expertise and train other doctors to perform NeoGraft hair transplants.

The demand for NeoGraft around the country is surprisingly large – patients are coming from all over, not just South Australia, to see me for a treatment.

What are your plans for The Medical Hair Institute (TMHI) in the next 12 months or so?

The key goal over the next 12 months is to educate and build awareness about NeoGraft throughout Australia. There is no question that the procedure delivers the results it promises, but sadly there are a lot of people who would benefit from the treatment but simply don’t know it exists.

I therefore encourage barbers to tell their balding clients about NeoGraft – it really could change their lives.

NeoGraft is also a big win for barbers – once their clients get their hair (and confidence) back, they will have to start booking more appointments and spending more on products and services!

Dr Matthew Holman

To find out more about NeoGraft visit www.venusconcept.com

To contact Dr Matthew Holman visit www.medicalhair.com.au

BLOG SPOT.

Maintenance for the Perfect Beard

with Don De Sanctis

In recent years, beards have been all the craze… With men continuing to take pride in their grooming, manicured beards have become more common than ever! The classical look of beards adds an extra step in men’s everyday routine. With all the different products on the market and advice out there, I have simplified a list of how to maintain the perfect beard.

1. Wash your beard- we’re all guilty of having food and drink stuck in our beard… to have the perfect beard you need to ensure you wash it regularly! Invest in some good beard shampoo, wet your beard, lather the shampoo, rinse and pat dry gently to avoid damage to your beard. I recommend The Garage Barber, Luxe Beard Wash as it is a light weight, low-foaming cleanser which leaves your beard feeling and looking clean especially with its ‘leather and cigars’ scent.

2. Get yourself a beard oil- beard oil is an essential item to include in your daily routine. Not only does it keep your beard looking and smelling great, but it also keeps the hair soft and provokes beard growth. My personal favorite beard oil is The Beard Oil by The Garage Barber. It is a beautiful vanilla whiskey scented oil made in Australia, packed with amazing organic ingredients!

3. Keep your beard trimmed- keeping your beard trimmed keeps you looking fresh and clean. Crucially in the early stages of beard growth, having your beard regularly trimmed ensures thicker hair growth. Trimming also ensures that your beard is kept neat and matching your face shape. I personally recommend keeping your neckline clean as it gives you a sharper look.

4. Beard balm- in cooler and dryer weather I suggest using a beard balm as it provides condition and moisture to your beard. Using a beard balm can prevent itchiness and help style a frizzy beard. You don’t have to use it with the oil, so I suggest using it as you think your beard needs that extra moisture.

5. Beard brushes- the bristles of a beard brush have a unique texture that targets dust and exfoliates the skin. It also helps to train the crazy beard hairs to grow in the ideal direction. This tool is essential in taming your beard hairs as well as distributing evenly beard products. It is important that you brush your beard every day in the morning- however don’t over do it as you may irritate the hairs and skin. To get the best results from your beard brush, start brushing the hair underneath in an upwards direction. This will add volume and remove difficult dirt. Then, brush in a downward direction on the surface of your beard- this will create your desired shape and tame the crazy hairs.

As a beard owner myself, I use the list above to keep my beard looking sharp and healthy. Having a beard means it is a focal point on your face and therefore is an initial aspect that people see when seeing you. Keeping your beard looking fresh is important and with the right maintenance, your beard will always be on-point! @barberboysau

BLOG SPOT.

Nobody Wins When They Are Afraid of Losing!

WITH Sam Squires

Throughout my barbering and business journey I have learnt the importance of a few key factors that I believe range from the most comfortable… to the most uncomfortable routes to success. I’m not just talking about success in a financial way or the look of success to the outside community; I’m talking about success that bleeds through your working life-to your home life, your friendships, and your work life balance.

These factors include building relationships well and taking calculated risks.

When we build meaningful relationships and take risks that we are willing to chalk a failure to, or even just ask for things expecting to get the big fat “NO” but take it on the chin and deal with the rejection it sets us up to get up and move forward stronger than we were before. We build a resilience, which I feel is integral to opening a business and running barbershops.

starting from scratch. With the help of my friend and location manager Sean Hayes we made a larger space work and although facing constant challenges in staffing and bumps in the road when it came to the education arm of the business, the Miami location has held its own during a tough couple of years.

This has been especially evident in the last few years with the pandemic and how that’s affected our industry. We as a barbering community have learnt to pivot and work with the opportunities, we have had in front of us.

Due to the location my first barbershop which is on the Gold Coast I was fortunately able to retain operation, through parts of COVID-19. We became busier due to government pay-outs and our clients having time to come in more regular. We also dealt with heavy periods of too few clients due to border closures and COVID-19 hitting QLD harder than it had. During this time, I saw an opportunity to open a second location and had the plan to use this space to train barbers and utilize an academy or education space that could eventually aid in the skills shortage and feed our barbershops.

A massive learning curve during this time was that the initial ingredients that made our Currumbin location become so successful in a short amount of time was not a cookie cutter model. My wife and I had our beautiful daughter Sutton Squires in this time and its safe to say my plate was overflowing. I had the risktaking side down pat and it now came to keeping relationships strong within the business. Its safe to say the balancing act was challenging.

The second location is bigger, costs more and was completely

My three tips when looking to expand your business

- When looking for a second location really dive into what worked for your initial business

- Make sure you have a staff member willing to and able to step up and become an integral part of your decision-making process.

- As hard as it seems go with the flow and weather the hard times while keeping sight of the overall vision and goal.

Thanks for reading and please understand these articles are here as an insight into somebody who is learning all the time from mistakes and successes. If you have any questions or want to delve deeper into business growth or need a soundboard, I welcome it with open arms. I learn a lot about my own journey every time I talk about or write pieces like this.

Sam Squires @Samthebarberman

Founder Backbone Barbershop Group @BackboneBarbershop @BackbonebarbershopMiami Backbone Barber Education @BackboneBarberEducation

a new legend is coming

BLOG SPOT.

Where Are You Going?

with Collette Saunders

Some time back now I began a journey on Instagram. Fuelled by the desire to create recognition for people I didn’t even know. I sit here now 4 years on and think about where I am going. Platforms are fickle things when you consider them in themselves. How many people look? How many people follow? Who cares? Out of tens of thousands of people who might follow and engage, what is the point of its existence?

Even the best planned journeys begin with one foot after the other and a not knowing really what will happen next. Curved balls and left field and “it’s not what happens but how you handle it”. An important plan or pursuit might feel uncomfortably rudderless. That doesn’t mean you should convince yourself that you don’t have the time, resources, or inclination to focus on a particular goal or deflate your confidence in it.

I’ve found the need for patience for events as they’ve played out. Calm and balance, accommodation, and moderation. The need for reflection, drawing my emotions in and stopping reaction to outside forces. In doing that I found the boldness and bravery to carry out my plans. AFB, for example, was never born to be a Brand, it was born to be a community, a motivational hub, a point of reference, to inspire. I could never have expected what has come beyond the building that began 4 years ago on 15 May 2018. I always maintained an authenticity to what I was trying to achieve. Never was there any money to be made. I simply created safe space for people to showcase their work and express themselves. What came was more far more valuable. Things far more reaching. Things that made everything I had done over the past three decades make so much more sense. I found out more about myself by finding out more about others. It’s given me more freedom, inner peace, confidence, and a satisfaction that I’ve done a good thing.

So lately, again, I’m questioning on where I am going next! At my core there has always been a desire to uplift and encourage people around me. It’s where I feel my happiest. Collaborations and partnerships, I’ve found, are the best way to open things up. In a world of fast and fleeting interactions, solid and long-term relationships are hard to maintain where socials are concerned. I’m grateful for the ones I’ve maintained too now. The ones that stick are the ones that “like calls to like”.

Where have you been and where are you going? Appearance versus reality because appearances traditionally, like some social media pages, cannot be trusted as they are mouldable, changeable. Appearance is something we gather from our senses. Reality is something that has to have happened… the state of things as they are, rather than as I imagine they appear. Failing to connect with reality is why some of us have pants in the closet that no longer fit. More significantly it keeps people from perusing more fulfilling things, jobs or even the entirely wrong profession!

The year is already half over. I’m counting on my competencies. Ready to own all my outcomes. That starts with self-acceptance and turning up the subliminal affirmations. Reality shifting is a trendy mental activity that emerged with the flare up of Covid 19. Popular with post millennial’s possibly thanks to Harry Potter! But before I embark on “shifting” I’ll write myself down a script and some notes in which I’ll plan what I’d hope to happen in my next desired reality. It might be simple; it might be complex. It could be logical, or it could be weird. It will absolutely be lawful and hopefully not chaotic. As I dive into it with a look at where I’ve been, what I’ve discovered, and what comes next.

Collette Saunders @collettesaundershair

Founder @australianfemalebarbers @afb_recruit Board Director @jackreedfoundation

Re: Connect Events @area_academy

BLOG SPOT.

ADD VALUE TO MAKING A LIVING, BY LIVING YOUR VALUES

with PAUL FRASCA

It’s easy to talk the talk on sustainability but walking the walk can be a daunting process. We understand this, so we’ve taken the risks and the responsibility so you can live your values just by joining our network of Sustainable Salons. For me, living my values is nonnegotiable.

I’ve had so many interactions with salon owners at expos and conferences who have said to me that they want to join Sustainable Salons and offer their clients a service that aligns with their values, BUT… they’re scared.

Scared that their clients won’t accept the minimal price increase that comes with becoming a sustainable salon, scared that it will all be too hard, and scared that it will negatively affect their bottom line.

I always encourage these salon owners to think about it from a consumer’s perspective. We know that sustainability is a concern for the absolute majority of consumers these days, and consumers are thinking about the impact of their actions and purchases more than ever.

So, imagine that consumer, looking in the mirror and realising that after two years of on and off lockdowns, it’s finally time to go back to the salon. They’re thinking to themselves, ‘wouldn’t it be great if I could get my hair done without compromising on my values?’

So, what do they do? They hop on the Sustainable Salons directory and look for a salon in their area. And what do they find? Nada. That’s a pretty big bummer for consumers who want to live their values. They’ll probably come to you anyway, but they’ll jump ship as soon as a Sustainable Salon opens in their area.

Your clients are the backbone of your business - not only do their appointments pay your bills, but your clients’ heads are literal walking advertisements for your salon. Who hasn’t seen a friend with an incredible new haircut and immediately demanded to know where they got it done? I know I have!

So, that being said, it makes even more sense to meet your clients where they’re at. And right now, that’s typically knee-deep in at least one element of the sustainability movement. No matter which aspect of sustainability your clients are interested in, Sustainable Salons covers almost every area of concern: people, planet, and profit.

Here’s a little look behind the scenes of Sustainable Salons because we are far more than just a recycling program:

PEOPLE

- Dignified work for people living with disabilities. The number of people we’ve had reach out to us and talk about how pleased they are to see a company offering employment opportunities for people living with disabilities is huge.

- Ponytail donations for charitable wigs. Human hair wigs don’t come cheap, but they’re life-changing for people with hair loss through cancer treatment or autoimmune illnesses like alopecia.

PLANET

- Recycling. This is what we’ve made our name in. We have prevented over 250 000 kilos of metal, 275 000 kilos of paper and over 38 000 litres of chemicals from going to waste and kept over 220 000 kilos of plastic out of landfills. And that’s not even mentioning the insane amount of hair clippings we receive from salons every year, which are turned into hair booms to soak up oil in our precious oceans.

- Closed loop manufacturing. Recycling is only half the solution. Recycling waste is all well and good, but its impact is somewhat lost unless it goes back into a circular system and the products produced from recycled materials are valued as highly as those from virgin materials. The metal and plastic we recycle go back into the manufacturing system to become new products like dog leashes, coasters, and sunglasses, extending their lifecycle.

PROFIT

- Job creation. We’ve had politicians asking us to bring Sustainable Salons into their states and communities because they understand that we provide long-term job opportunities for many people. We know that there’s no saving the planet without dedicated people working towards our common goals.

- Partnerships. We partner with over 21 charities across Australia and New Zealand to deliver a range of services. These include grooming services for people experiencing homelessness and donations to fund meals for people in need.

We know that many salons have wanted to be part of something like this for a long time, but it’s daunting going out on your own and trying to create something from scratch. We’ve built the infrastructure around protecting people, the planet, and profits so that salons can easily join and know they’re contributing to a fairer, greener tomorrow.

Oh, and if you’re still not convinced - you should know that over 77 000 clients visit a Sustainable Salon every week, and over 1400 salons across Australia and New Zealand are already on board!

The best part of my job is waking up each day knowing I am living my values. It could be the best part of your job too. When I look back at my legacy at Sustainable Salons, I know I’m on the right side of history. And that’s a pretty great feeling.

Keen to join the movement? Find out more at www.sustainablesalons.org!

MENS HAIR SPECIALIST FINALISTS

DAVID METLISS AN-DRYERS HAIR STUDIO

PERTH-FECTION

PHOTOGRAPHERS: NIA LEE & MAURO CATTELAN

EDITING: DAVID METLISS

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

FRANCE KHAMEES BY FRANCE

FUTURE FUTURE

PHOTOGRAPHER: SHAYBEN MOUSSA // MAKE UP: NIKKI MAHERA

STYLIST: FRANCE KHAMEES

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

MENS HAIR SPECIALIST FINALISTS

GEORGIE BOOLS STEVIE ENGLISH HAIR

CANDY

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL MOSTYN // MAKE UP-:CAMILLA LEARY

STYLIST: CLAUDIA WILLIAMSON

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

HUSSEIN NASER NASER HAIRCUTS

LIVING IN TWO WORLDS

PHOTOGRAPHER: AARON MCPOLIN BARBER

STYLIST: HUSSEIN NASER

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

MENS HAIR SPECIALIST FINALISTS

LUKE MUNN HAVACHAT BARBERSHOP

MISFITS

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID MANNAH // MAKE UP ARTIST: PABLO MORGADE

STYLIST: JOSIE MCMANUS

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

MATTHEW CLARKE ESQ. MALE GROOMING

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER

PHOTOGRAPHER: THERESA HALL // MAKE UP: BROOKE STANLEY

STYLIST: MATT CCARKE

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

MENS HAIR SPECIALIST FINALISTS

PAUL JAMES GRAHAM PAUL & PAUL SALON

NAUTICAL ESCAPE

PHOTOGRAPHER: NATHAN DUFF // STYLIST: PAUL JAMES GRAHAM

MAKE-UP: HOLLY SMIT

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

TIM PASCOE TIM PASCOE HAIR

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER

PHOTOGRAPHER: DEREC ETHAN // STYLIST; LUKE MEAKINS

MAKE UP: HENDRA WIDJAJA

Winner to be announced at the 2022 AHIA Creative Gala 13th June, 2022, The Grand Ballroom, ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

To purchase tickets, visit: www.mochagroup.com.au/shop

2021 NEW ZEALAND BARBER OF THE YEAR

The Editorial Barber of the Year awards are for New Zealand barbers who are Hair & Barber New Zealand (H&BNZ) members who can demonstrate a progressive look integrated with strong traditional barbering fundamentals and are part pf the NZ Industry Awards that recognise the best business, training and creative talent in New Zealand’s hair, beauty, and barbering industries. Held annually, the awards are hosted by Kitomba Salon and Spa Software, HITO and Hair & Barber New Zealand, celebrating both individual and team success.

Editorial Barber of the Year and Editorial Barber of the Year – Next Generation were won by Tee Tupara, Mancraft Barbers, Taupo.

In 2019 Tee won the Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship set up by HITO and the McBeth family to honour Jasmine’s passion, motivation, and dedication to the hairdressing industry, before she sadly passed from cancer in 2007.

Hot Shot – New Talent was won by James Harrington, The Barber Lounge, Christchurch.

2021 was the inaugural year for barbering categories at The NZ Industry Awards, which were judged by international judges Rex Silver, a hair industry veteran and editor of Barbershop Magazine Australia, Lance Liufau, currently one of three owners of The Loft Barbershop (Australia), and Jesse Lima who has 2 barbershops in the Tampa FL area and a Scalp Micropigmentation Clinique.

The Industry Awards are back later this year 2022 with entries due Wednesday 31 August and the awards evening being held in Christchurch on Sunday 6 November.

To find out more about the awards visit: www.industryawards.co.nz

@industryawardsnz

WINNEREDITORIAL

BARBER OF THE YEAR NEXT GENERATIONTEE TUPARA

WINNER - EDITORIAL

BARBER OF THE YEAR - TEE TUPARA

WINNER - HOT SHOT

NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR - JAMES HARRINGTON

“I work at Mancraft Barbers in Taupo and am relatively new to the barbering industry, I started my hairdressing apprenticeship at our sister salon, Cremebrulee Hair Beauty Salon 4 years ago where I was fortunate enough to be a finalist for apprentice of the year and to win the Jasmine McBeth Scholarship. I am a now a fully qualified hairdresser, but my passion has always been men’s hair. I had the opportunity to help out at Mancraft Barbers and fell in love with everything barbering has to offer from cutting, styling and beard work so I am now doing my Barbering Apprenticeship with HITO. I get my inspiration from my teammates as I am surrounded by so many talented barbers that have worked all around the world with 20+ year’s experience. My short-term goal is is to complete my barbering apprenticeship and to hopefully keep this beautiful trophy in one of our Mancraft shops, so I am working on that right now. I am passionate about the barbering industry and I can’t wait to pass on my knowledge to our up and coming generation. I wanted to re-create something old with a new spin on it suitable for a cover of a fashion forward mens magazine.”

Tee Tupara

“When entering the award for the hot shot category I had been an apprentice in the industry for under a year and currently have past the year mark. My goal in barbering is to one day have my own shop/ barber school in Christchurch. I spent 9 years of my life doing a job that I didn’t enjoy and now doing barbering I have never been happier. The job has opened up so many doors for me and given me the opportunity to be myself. My teacher Jerome Leatuavao gave me the opportunity to become a barber just by giving me a chance. I was rejected by many shops in Christchurch as I had no work experience and hadn’t done a course. Jerome said “pick up the broom” and that’s where it all started. I hope that one day I can do that for someone else. The cut I entered for the competition shows the work style that I like to do. I want to give people stand out cuts that are different from the rest. Competitions are one thing I love about this industry and I will continue to enter all of them and encourage others too as well.”

James Harrington aka Hemi the Hairbender.

BUSINESS OLD SCHOOL!

WITH MARIO FALLACE. NEW YORK BARBERS

Welcome to the second in a 4-part series highlighting some of the finer aspects of running a successful barber business. Here we will be treated to some invaluable advice, tips, and insights on how to run your barber business to ensure your business is around for years to come.

Mario Fallace, a 36-year industry veteran and owner of New York Barbers, 2021 AMBA winner of both Best Barber Business and Best Design categories will be our author, guide, and host. Mario has seen it all, he started when Barbering was not even recognised as hairdressings poor cousin, it just wasn’t rated as a skill or trade at all. Nowadays, we get treated like Rock Stars and go straight to the front of the que. It’s a recognised profession and respected... but what about business knowledge to make sure your business’ is kicking it and payin’ da bills, not just now, but for years to come. Button your shirt up, sit up straight, clear your desks, push your chairs in and pay attention! School is session:

RUNNING A SUSTAINABLE AND PROFITABLE BUSINESS 101

Your barbershop’s pricing and margins have a direct impact on your business’s sustainability. It is a very important factor to pay attention to and may be what is holding your business back.

We need to ensure that we are charging the correct prices in our barbershops, as well as paying attention to often overlooked factors such as timing of services and consistency.

HAIRCUTS & TIMING

The haircut that brought barbering back on the map, is the same haircut that can in fact be some barber shops demise - the Skin fade. In the context of profitability and running a sustainable barber business, it is becoming a ‘problem’ haircut. Not because we can’t do them - the quality of skin fades some barbers can produce is amazing. The problem comes from the fact that it is the most time-consuming haircut to do, requiring the most skill and effort to produce.

It is for this reason, that if not approached in a sustainable way, can single handedly affect your bottom line in your barbershop. We must pay attention to how long we take to do these haircuts, and how our expenses - wages, rent, outgoings, etc. stack up against this.

In terms of timing, and this will depend on if your barbershop is walk-in only, or appointment based, on average an experienced & qualified barber should aim to be able to do a skin fade in 30 minutes, with a standard haircut around the 20-minute mark. So, around 2-3 haircuts per hour. Keeping in mind some barbershops running off appointments that block out a certain amount of time for this haircut, may take longer - as long as you are charging for this time and maintaining profits, then you are still sustainable.

Mario Fallace

PRICING

It is very important to be charging your worth, but also ensure your prices for services meet the expenses of your business.

How much you charge can be influenced by a variety of factors. Location, quality of environment, and the barbers you have on board, as well as your consistent ability to provide your services.

In terms of a skin fade, most barbershops will find themselves needing to charge at least $40 nowadays, and in most cases more than this. In a nutshell, don’t allow the haircut that has brought barbering back to the forefront, be the one that closes your doors for good because you don’t charge enough and/or take too long to do it.

A TEAM EFFORT

We have found at New York Barbers that sustainability cannot be achieved with having only 1 or 2 barbers from your team able to perform the work. You want the whole team to be able to look after all customers, and provide the same, consistent service and end result. If you can work towards having customers being happy to see any barber, it ensures not only a select few are being lumbered with the work.

RETAIL IS YOUR FRIEND

Not only does selling retail provide more value to your clients, but it can actually help significantly with sustainability and

profit margins, as you only have the cost associated with purchasing the product. Let’s say an average styling product retails around $28.95. That automatically is extra revenue. In fact, you can even look at it as almost an extra haircut being sold, without having to physically do the extra haircut! It is one thing to just use products to style, but another to recommend to clients what is best for them to recreate the look at home. This will all add to your bottom line and profit margins. Work hard but work smart as well!

WAGES

One of, if not the biggest expense we have is wages. Therefore, it is super important to pay close attention to how much we are paying barbers vs the revenue they generate for the barbershop. They must be profitable, otherwise the business won’t be able to cover the rest of its expenses and stay sustainable. If you are going to pay barbers more money, especially with the staff shortages we have at the momentmake sure they produce the results, otherwise you will just be chasing your tail.

In closing, paying attention to all of these factors will keep you on the path to running a sustainable barbershop that can keep running for years to come. It will even increase your customer satisfaction by paying attention to how long services are taking and providing these services consistently each time they visit.

@newyorkbarbers

Why you need a proper website, and what to put on it

BY NICK BENDEL

You need a website. Not a Facebook page or even one of those free Google websites – but a proper, legitimate website.

You might think investing in a website is overkill, because why would customers care if their local barber has a website?

But the thing is, if one of your rivals has a website and your shop doesn’t, they’ll immediately look more professional, which will make them more attractive to potential customers. Also, when customers do an online search for “[Your suburb] barber”, if your rivals have a website and you don’t, they’ll rank higher on Google, and will therefore be more likely to win the business.

So, yes, you really do need to invest in a website. There are a couple of options:

- You could pay a web developer to build your own unique website. This requires a sizeable upfront cost (at least $1,000) and means you have to take the time to find a web developer and oversee the project. But once it’s built, you’ll be able to use this website for many years to come, and your only ongoing costs will be relatively minor annual fees for hosting, domain registration and security.

- You could use a DIY website builder like Wix or Squarespace. This involves a much smaller upfront cost and doesn’t require you to find a developer or oversee a website build. However, you will have to pay ongoing monthly fees, which will be more costly in the long-term.

WHAT CONTENT TO PUT ON YOUR WEBSITE

Once you’ve decided what type of website you want, you need to decide what content to put on it.

The basic option is to create a one-page website that’s basically just an online

brochure. For this kind of website, you should include:

- A main image (showing the outside of your shop, the inside of your shop or your staff)

- Some text that explains why your barbershop is so good

- A list of services

- Your address

- Your opening hours

- Your contact details

- Links to your social media pages

The intermediate option is to build a multipage website that includes all the above information, as well as:

- An ‘About’ page

- Staff bios

- A booking form

- Customer reviews

With both the basic and intermediate options, you need to do almost no ongoing work, apart from the occasional update to your list of services, staff bios or customer reviews.

The advanced option, though, does require ongoing work. That’s because an advanced website should not only include all of the above information, but also:

- A media page (for photos and/or videos)

- A blog

HOW TO USE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS IN YOUR MARKETING

One clever marketing tactic is to take photos and/or videos of your customers (with their permission). Here’s why it’s such a good idea:

- You can use before-and-after images to highlight the quality of your work

- You gain social proof – because if a customer’s friends and neighbours are

visiting your barbershop, it must be good

- You improve your Google ranking –because Google rewards websites that regularly post new, relevant content

- You can republish the same photos and videos on social media

How often should you upload photos and videos? Ideally, every day. But if you can’t commit to daily, do weekly.

HOW TO USE BLOGS IN YOUR MARKETING

You should use your blog to educate customers. That means writing articles about:

- Hairstyles

- Hair trends

- Hair maintenance tips

- Grooming products

Here’s why publishing regular blog content is such a clever marketing tactic:

- You’ll establish yourself as a trusted expert

- You’ll improve your Google ranking

- You can republish the blogs (either in full or in snippets) on social media

But a word of warning – don’t start a blog if you’re not prepared to write new articles at least once per month. That’s because you’ll look unprofessional if a customer visits your website and discovers the most recent blog entry was from three years ago.

Nick Bendel is the director of Hunter & Scribe, a copywriting / content marketing agency that writes blogs, social media posts, website text and other content for businesses.

BARBERSchairs

It starts with sitting in the perfect chair. Something that looks sweet, comfortable and makes it easy for you, the stylist, to create with pride.

BAT MAN

WHISTLER

BLACKBIRD TEXTURED BLACK

HARLEY TEXTURED BLACK

PANTHER

WHISTLER

NEW GEAR.

Grooming by Vitaman

Face Moisturiser: Specially designed to calm and smooth your skin’s texture, as well as reduce fine lines around your eyes and forehead, VITAMAN’s Face Moisturiser is suitable for even the most sensitive skin. Featuring natural Australian ingredients like Shea Butter, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, and Coconut Oil, VITAMAN’s Face Moisturiser gives you the perfect matte finish with subtle notes of Australian Blue Cypress Oil and Kakadu Plum.

After Shave Balm :VITAMAN After Shave Balm is designed to prevent and alleviate shave rash, redness and irritation, and nicks and cuts. Featuring natural ingredients like White Tea Leaf, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Chamomile Flower, and Lavender Oil, VITAMAN After Shave Balm will soothe your skin and leave you fe

Styling Crème: VITAMAN’s Styling Creme is designed for easy application and offers pliable hold, whilst giving your hair a fresh, soft, and full look. Featuring naturally sourced Australian ingredients like White Tea Leaf Extract, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, and Hydrolysed Sweet Almond Protein, VITAMAN’s Styling Creme is suitable for all hair types and has a natural vanilla aroma. Being water soluble, it also washes out easily and does not cause flaky scalps. www.vitaman.com.au

What’s New From Valor

Single Black Towel Warmer By Joiken

Every busy Barber Shop needs a Towel Warmer like this. This Single Towel Warmer from JOIKEN is ideal for Barber Shops, Beauty Salons, Spas, Gyms, Massage Therapists Tattoo Artists.

The stylish design of this towel warmer features a metal cabinet with a cool-touch composite door and integrated handle with magnetic latch. For maximum efficiency, the door is double-sealed to minimize heat loss.

Capacity from 24 - 72 towels (depending on the size of the towels). Towel Warmer Cabinet - Black. Features a removable wire basket for easy loading, unloading, or storage of towels. 200-watts of heating power to warm towels to up an average of 80-degrees Celsius. Removable drip dray collect moisture, drips, and condensation. Dimensions: 42H x 51W x 36L. Product Code: 45319 www.joiken.com.au

TAMR DUO-MIX GIFT PACK: A small and mighty gift set including the unique Beard Tamer (your choice of the scent) and a bar of Face and Body Soap with signature essential oil blends. Gentle enough to wash the beard, face and the rest of your body. After a towel dry, apply Valor Beard Tamer to nourish the skin and the whiskers, making them more manageable, soft and smelling incredible.

FACE AND BODY WASH: Great for eczema, dry and sensitive and irritated skins, Valor Castile Face & Body Wash is a traditionally made Castile liquid soap using Certified Organic Australian Olive oil, cold-pressed Coconut oil, Sunflower oil and Avocado oil. Castile soap is biodegradable, non-toxic and safe. It is gentle enough to use on sensitive skin, and even suitable for eczema and psoriasis. Ideal as a body, hand, face and beard wash and will gently cleanse your skin and leave you hydrated and soothed, never dry, with no soapy residue.

THE PIT STOP DEODERANT: One tin can lastsup to 6 months! This unique Pit Stop Natural Deodorant - Wategos is a natural, organic deodorant paste that will have you smelling good naturally and stay that way all day. The newest Wategos blend is popular with both men and women and a true unisex product - that actually works. Fragranced with natural oils of Grapefruit and Cedarwood with just a hint of Frankincense and Peppermint this is a fresh, zesty scent to awaken your senses. No toxic chemicals, no aluminium - just soft, sweet-smelling Pits! Naturally! www.valororganics.com

Introducing the BlackBird By

Comfortel

Super Sleek with its matte black details, this barber’s chair is for the modernist. For the modern man, who never compromises on style, the design features a lean, matte black frame with textured slate/black look upholstery. A comfortable and supportive seat that is firm and well supported, the adjustable height range is this barber’s chair is perfect the tall and even short barber. Traditional styling is met with the highest grade of durability, finish and of course maximum comfort (nothing is more important). With a super sleek matte black frame, this barber’s chair is a striking accent piece to any barbershop.

Features 360º (lockable) rotation, reclining backrest, adjustable, integrated, removable headrest, upholstered padded armrests, recline lever, upholstered and padded footrest, raised leg support, lockable hydraulic lift and round black base

Available from Comfortel Salon Furniture. www.comfortel.com.au

IMPORTS

UNPARALLELED POWER

The most powerful clipper and trimmer ever made. Silver Bullet HeadLiner Clipper and Trimmer are powered by super high torque 110,000 rpm motor for unbeatable performance. Cord/cordless, lightweight and ergonomic.

CUSTOMISE AND OPTIMISE

Three interchangeable body kits, one mightily powerful clipper. With a high speed 10,000 rpm rotary motor, Silver Bullet Speed Demon embodies the powerful speed of customisation.

GO LOW

With ultra-low profile metal shield cover and ergonomic grip housing, BaBylissPRO LoPROFX High Performance Low Profile Clipper and Trimmer are BaBylissPRO’s most intuitive tools yet. Outstanding power, performance and feel.

THE CLOSEST SHAVE X 2

Excel with BaBylissPRO LimitedFX Gold Double & Single Shaver Duo. Brand new to the Australian market, the single foil shaver compliments the double foil shaver for ultraclose cut performance.

CHARGE IT

You’re in charge with BaBylissPRO FX Hair Clipper and Trimmer Charging Bases. Available in SilverFX, RoseFX and GoldFX, these high quality charging docks are style, organisation and convenience in one.

RETRO MEETS CUTTING EDGE

Silver Bullet Grenadier Clipper is a knight in shining armour. Retro design with cutting edge features. Ingenious multi motor speeds suit all hair types. Cordless convenience with 3 hour runtime.

PRECISION PERFORMANCE X 2

Introducing new BaBylissPRO Outliner Trimmer and Shaver Duos in SilverFX and RoseFX. High torque, high performance for extraordinary precision. Experience the combined power of Barberology.

www.datelineimports.com.au

ultralight 299g

m&u imports

high speed 110,000 rpm

long life br ushless motor

reverse self clean system

ionic & ceramic technology

muimports_au