I Love You With Sofie Pok

AKA Staygold

“As we grow up, sometimes we are told to stay on one path, but with all the access we have in the world today, why limit yourself?”

We all know how hard these last few months have been in America and for most, the lockdowns and heavy restrictions would make it near impossible to do your normal routine or anything that resembled it. What do you do when your creative sprits refuse to be put on hold?

You pivot, adapt and be diverse, channelling your creativity into something you can do under the circumstances. For our US Correspondent Sofie Pok AKA Staygold this means dropping a new project, a fashion line. We spoke to Sofie about this new love!

Tell us about the inspirations behind the range/how you would describe it:

“I Love You” capsule was my first collection drop! This draws influence from the 1980s, an era when magazine ads and classic allAmerican media marketing focused on lifestyle, travel, business and beauty. “I Love You” is the mantra I live by. Love is present in everything we do. In the form of intention, obsession and acceptance, taglines like “Dreams Come True,” “Sofie Wuz Here,” and “Staygold Select” represent the calculated elevation of the brand, Staygold LA. “I Love You” is my encouragement to give with intention and unlock the power that lies within.

Did you collab with designer?

I collaborated with The Lab Studios. They’re a training house for creatives but also their artist development department helped bring the vision to life.

One thing you’ve mentioned in our conversations is that with lockdown you have been able to hone more of your creativity in other areas like your photography. What was it like being able to conceptualize a clothing range, design that, style and execute the marketing campaign by being the photographer as well….

It was an amazing experience to trial and error this campaign by shooting and being in it. It actually taught me a lot about the execution and preparation process. Most key thing is knowing you have a team of people to back you up the whole process. My gosh how important it is to capture and document our journey because you never know who it can inspire by you just simply being you doing what you love.

You don’t believe creatives should stay pinned down to one discipline as such, can you please expand on that….

There’s a weird stigma that we are supposed to stick to one thing but living in the day and age we do; it’s just not seizing the opportunity to do more. With everything being so saturated, I’m starting to notice a need for multi-skilled people. For example, when I was shooting with Usher. They loved my creativity for photography, videography, and my understanding of different social media pages. Having many interests in definitely not a bad thing and I highly encourage everyone to follow theirs! You just never know where it takes you.

Let’s talk hair, with the state of the world right now and different regions allowing different things at different times, STMNT has been postponed here in Australia at least for the minute (Stay tuned readers for the Drop!), but that has given you a little time to get some feedback about how it’s been received in the States by Barbers and by the general public…your end users. Share some of that excitement!

WOW. The timing of dropping during a pandemic felt crazy but we are so happy to have done what we did. The feedback has been incredible from hairstylist, barbers, and end consumers! People feel connected to our personal stories and that has helped us build a strong brand identity You mix that up with great performance, scent, & customization, it literally is fit for all walks of life. Keep in mind this is a grooming brand and not a “men’s” grooming line because of the importance that women also love going to barbershops and buying product that doesn’t always smell so masculine for them. We have very well-balanced events that you’ll notice right away. First impressions are important!

Has developing these different creative skills, clothing design, product design and photography changed the way you look at your hair work or creative approach to hair?

Totally yes. It’s opened my eyes to expanding my craft as far as it can take me. 2020 was a year of reflection and appreciation and I’ve been going extra hard ever since. How will we be our best if we’re not truly giving our all every day. Life is short and I want to make the best of every moment I get.

@staygold31 @stmntgrooming

Sofie Pok AKA StayGold is a BaBalyliss International Educator and Signature Series Artist. Sofie is the American Barber of the Year 2019 USA Influencer Awards and BarberCon Female Barber of the Year 2017 and 2018.

LEEN

LEEN BERTUS&

These two don’t need any introduction, they are modem day icons that for many, have set the bar for Barbering standards, as we know them today, worldwide. BarberShop is proud to announce our new correspondents for Europe that we will be following for the next 12 months are none other than LION BERGMAN AKA LEEN and Robert JAN RIETVELD AKA BERTUS

SHOP: SCHOREM, Rotterdam, Netherlands School: The Old School Barber Academy, Rotterdam, Netherlands Range: Reuzel, 90 Counties and Counting.

In the first of our 4-part series with our new correspondents its customary I open with a get-to-know-you piece. Seeing how most of you will already know these boys, we talk about their 10 years anniversary and a little history, I try and dig a little deeper, and perhaps, we get to know them a little better.

LET’S MEET LEEN AND BERTUS…

Guy’s, an amazing journey for you both, please tell us a little about your shared history, I know you have known each other a long time.

We met on a beautiful sun-touched day in March back in 95, the air was thick of the smell of blossoming flowers as it was thick of LOVE… And oh my, is there really a better word to describe that moment that would change the lives of the two hormone-filled boys that would become known to the world as Leen and Bertus. One look at each other and they knew they were bound for great things to happen, terrible things sometimes but great anyway! What ACTUALLY happened was me walking into a salon that was owned by the then 16 years (Yes, you read that right) old Leen and his brother looking for a job because I just moved into town because of a certain lady (Looking back, most reasons for pretty much everything involved certain ladies). Unfortunately, they didn’t have a vacant spot but somehow Leen and I DID fall in love that day and it was the beginning of a 31year friendship. I stayed that day for over five hours and I can’t remember having laughed louder ever before. It would take too much time to tell our whole history, we’ve been through a lot (there’s a book called Schorem you can read with a lot of juicy stories but you’ll have to learn Dutch!) but what it comes down to is that we’re still together, little bit older, not too much wiser but still laughing no matter how bad shit gets, everybody should have had a friendship like ours in life, it’s what makes life worth living.

Take us back 10 years to when you had the idea for Schorem and decided to action that together, memories of the first day.

Hmmmm…. I solemnly swear I have NO MEMORIES of our first day because of the quite legendary party we threw the night before! The idea of

“Education is the foundation of every craft and every craft should be cherished for generations to come -Bertus

Schorem however is wayyyy older than 10 years. It’s (like many of “better” ideas) a joke that got out of hand! I guess it started when we saw Coming to America for the very first time, the scene where Eddie Murphy walks into a barbershop to get the royal braid removed (by Eddie Murphy.) It might be a comedy act, but I personally think that that scene is the epitome of barbershop culture.To walk in and be a part of the conversation no matter if they know your name or not. Leen and I used to joke that we wanted to end like that, wearing white aprons bitching about EVERYTHING, two grumpy old farts, with equally grumpy patrons busting each other’s balls. I think we did a pretty good job!

Tell us about the early years and how you navigated through those years, building on the flow of the success you were enjoying along the way. How did you keep steering in the right direction when the car was going so fast?

Interesting question, did we really steer in the right direction? I think we nearly crashed the goddamn car several times haha! Success can be a dingy counsellor and you don’t always realise how fast the car is going when you’re inside of it. Many people probably don’t realise that Schorem almost went broke in the first three months. There were many days we didn’t have a patron, probably scared of the whole men-only, only classic cuts, punkrock attitude. You’ve got to understand that although it may have become somewhat of a standard, 10 years ago “hairdressers” did not have tattooed hands and faces, beards, moustaches or wore three piece suits to work. It took a while before we became cool instead of “dressed up puffs” For us it was just combining the styles were into, rock ‘n’ roll, punkrock, skateboarding with barbershop history we got from books and the internet. I guess we did some pretty smart marketing though, especially though Facebook which was quite new back then, posting photos of our haircuts and after a while it got busier and busier till things got completely mental after we went on Dutch television with waiting times up to 10 hours EVERY DAY. People were coming from all over the country and even all over the world after a while. Leen and I started travelling and only then we realised how big it had really grown. It was awesome but also a bit crazy, I think the thing that kept us on the track is the love for the haircuts, we NEVER gave in on quality, we trained our team harder and harder teaching them to never aim to be the best but always try to give their best.

Rather than open more shops, you guys opted to open a school and educate, through means not only of the school, but extensive travel doing seminars and instructional videos etc. (This has led to much more in the educational arena over the years.)

Effectively, training 100’s of 1000’s of barbers, you have given the global Barber community skill sets that have lifted the level of service and quality of work in Barber Shops, from the smallest towns to the biggest cities in the world, forever. Did you dream you would have that effect and influence? and why does giving back, mean so much? We couldn’t have dreamt any of this. We never expected Schorem to become as big as it got, after all it was just two friends opening a shop to have some fun and throw out a couple of haircuts. Basically, we created the place WE would want to go to if we hadn’t been barbers ourselves. Education is the foundation of every craft and every craft should be cherished for generations to come. When we started our shop the quality of men’s hair was not as high as it should or could be, sometimes because of quantity over quality, sometimes because in male clients were considered less important but more often because of lack of skills, we were on a mission to change that, we wanted to educate our patrons, show them how good they could actually look (You’d be amazed how many guys believed they could only have the haircut they had for the last 10 years.) I’m not saying we changed the standards, but I certainly hoped we were a small part of it. One reason we love barbering is because it’s so technical, and technique is something that can be learned and perfected au contraire to creativity which is a gift.

We grew up in the pre-internet days of course, I remember Leen and myself having 3 VHS tapes from Vidal Sassoon that we must have watched 1000’s of times. I also remember the skateboarding VHS tapes that I treasured. It’s a bit of a weird thing, I kinda envy the kids nowadays with all the YouTube and Instagram videos, all the information that’s out there, I must have watched Liam Finnigan and Farzad’s shaving videos even more times than the VHS tapes that eventually wore down. HOWEVER, I wish those same kids knew the excitement of a new video, running to the mailbox knowing you were going to learn something new. I know I will never forget that feeling and it’s exactly that enthusiasm that makes me love being an educator so much, knowing I have something that is going to broaden their mind and inspire them, for me that’s is the most humble and rewarding job in the world. I will always be a student and a teacher

When did Reuzel become an idea and that idea become a reality?

Hahahaha, Reuzel started as a joke too, we thought it would be hilarious to have a pomade called Reuzel which means lard (it’s pretty funny in Dutch, we never expected it to be sold in over 90 countries worldwide) People told us nobody would ever go to a shop called SCHOREM (which roughly translates as Scumbags) and we proved them wrong, somehow that gave us the confidence to create REUZEL. We wanted to create the best grooming product in the world, made by barbers to be used by (gentle)men worldwide. I actually was so naïve to think I could brew it myself so REUZEL literally started in the kitchen of Schorem but it was only after we met our American partners when it became a reality. For me it will always be the product that started in a basement though and those D.I.Y. roots, that whole “learn three chords and start a band” ethos make it what it is today.

How much fun has this been, doing this with your best friend?

Rob: “I love Leen” Leen: “Who’s Rob??!!!”

How did you celebrate the anniversary?

Well, honestly, it SUCKED!!! Because of the whole Covid situation we weren’t allowed to throw the huge party we planned for all of our friends at home and around the world. We threw a little online party though inviting some of our most rocking friends to do a live-feed festival which was incredible, it was SO GOOD to hear some live music again after more than a year, even though the crowd was just the two of us. I know a lot of you will be craving some barber words of wisdom and believe me, you will be more than satisfied over the next 3 issues as we follow the boys, but for now, let me share a quote and some food for thought.

“IT’S THE HAND THAT HOLDS THE COMB THAT MAKES THE MISTAKES, NOT THE MAN THAT HOLDS THE CLIPPER” 60 SECOND SPEED DATE

LEEN:

Favourite Destination in the World: Tuscany (Italy) Favourite Food: Everything Remco has ever cooked, he now owns a restaurant called ‘Bar Berta’ in Rotterdam Favourite Movie: Scent of a woman. All Pacino’s speech at the end is not from this world. What are you listening to? So much, but ‘Fish’ and ‘Willy DeVille’ are always on my list. What are you reading? Keith Richards- Life What are you watching? Lupin, a French series on Netflix

BERTUS:

Favourite Destination in the World: Japan Favourite Food: Everything cruelty free/plant based Favourite Movie: Everything by The Coen Brothers What are you listening to? TEN by Pearl Jam but I have a VERY diverse taste in music. What are you reading? A Clockwork Orange What are you watching? The Kingdom (Korean zombies)

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A Deep Dive into the World of ASH WELLER

We catch up with this HotShot winner and multi-faceted creative talent, at a very precarious time. Still, his grounded nature gives you the impression everything will be OK, and just at a time when most creatives would perhaps give up, Ash finds another way to channel his artistic urges.

This seems to be a recurring theme this issue with our creative contributors, a reflection of their make-up and an indication we are dealing with true artists who will keep creating no matter what.

As spectators we don’t have to fully understand, just sit back and receive, enjoy and appreciate their artistic offerings. Right here in the pages of BarberShop, you have the best seats in the house. Take it away Ash…

Well… firstly I wanted to congratulate all that have held in there and who have learned to adapt to change and uncertainty, what a year 2020 was had for our industry. Multiple Shutdowns (still shutdowns), client retention changing, especially in barbershops.

At the beginning of December, I decided to make the hard decision of leaving my home as they decided to put the rent up and, with how much we lost in revenue last year it just wasn’t feasible anymore, as-well, I know what I needed to do to keep my business and staff afloat.

To me, that’s what a business owner is, to know when to pull things in and to be able to change your life to what’s happening in and around the shop.

Obviously, I have a lifestyle that can accommodate that, I think that was first step into my new outlook for 2021. I was going to take off around Australia to cut hair and travel for a year, living in and working out of the van. I always had a fascination with a mobile home with all your belongings in one small space, but a few things changed that year and then boom! The shop was born!

I bought my current van a couple of years into owning the shop and have lived in it here and there as life would change, so when it was time to come, I knew I had to start building my new temp home (van fit out).

I spent a month selling\giving away all my household items to be able to fund this project. It’s funny the more I sold and gave away the lighter and more freeing I felt! Thankfully my mate and his dad offered me a space, rent free for a while, whilst I built my off-grid home. They supported me when I needed it, and for that I am forever grateful Much love, Cameron Robb and Andy Robb.

For me the pandemic has given me time to slow down. I was forced not to tour (which I miss and think about all my friends America all the time) and it has taught me to embrace every good and bad day/week for what it is, because let’s be real, none of our shops are the same, yeah… we are all busy, but in a much different way, And that’s ok!

THE TRUE BELONGING COLLECTION

“True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply, that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being part of something and standing alone in the concrete wilderness.”

This collection, I have been writing and shooting images of work for, for a few years now, and is actually a big project of mine.

This project does not have an expiry date!

It’s not just any ordinary shoot. This project was created as a way for me to express myself through the shoot, as I feel for how I want to express my creativity in the theme of this shoot. Females offer something very different when it comes to make up and clothing and I guess being brought up by females, it feels the most natural to me , while taping into people who I have had a past with, that they want to reveal something to the world and overcome perhaps….. there had to be a female in this shoot for it to work for me.

It says, don’t be scared of putting it out there and owning the life you’ve experienced. A creative way to show vulnerability, judgment, broken down by society and then rebuild by standing up to it. This last shoot was supper unreal and crazy experience, gave me shivers down my spine and even gave me tears behind the camera! Very powerful for all involved and left my colleague speechless which I’ve never seen! haha

Heavy I know... but this is me, RAW... everything black and white, here to express people’s stories through art and fashion, as I really feel a photo is the best way to express emotion when done it the right way

We are hoping to name this ongoing project one day, get it filmed as it was so amazing, and would love to share that experience with you all.

UP SKILLING

Another big thing I wanted to share was my return to my roots and going back to the salon 1 day a week to up-skill my female hairdressing and colour techniques! I’m so happy to be going back to how my whole career started, it’s a big part of who I am and feel I need to keep those skills up to date. I believe in order to make your business grow to the next level you have to be eager to learn/reinvent and keep that team inspired and learning new techniques. There’s going to be a lot of change this year and I’m ready!

HOTSHOT HOUSE

Ahh man! I can’t wait to get over there, to the hotshot’s house and create and get inspired by all other winners! It still blows my mind that I get to experience these rewards, I know it’s been super tricky with Covid, but they’ve been amazing at keeping in contact with us through it all.

Thank you, team Mocha!! And Thank you readers.

Much love, Ash Weller @bornbarbers_collective @wellers_space

STRAIGHT OUTTA BARBER SCHOOL

BY EMMA CAWLEY AND REX SILVER

This is the second in our series where we find a Barber who has excelled from the get-go straight out of Barber School. In this issue we meet Tim Miller who changed careers dramatically, went to Barber School, nailed a great job and went Back to Barber School…to Teach!!

TAFE NSW alumnus, Timothy Miller’s love for barbering started with him experimenting on friends and family using a pair of Kmart Clippers.

Mr Miller was working as a structural draftsman at an engineering firm in Sydney, when he realised his heart wasn’t in the job. He had been cutting hair on the side and decided it was time to turn his passion into a career by studying barbering at TAFE NSW Granville.

“I started off with simple haircuts on my brother which, with time and practice, developed into more complex cuts on friends and then paying customers. I realised then that I had found my passion and needed to turn it into a career, which saw me enrol in the Statement of Attainment in Barbering to upskill. to learn that I was holding the clippers incorrectly.”

“I committed to one day a week away from my job to complete the course, and as I continued my nine to five job as a structural draftsman, my passion for barbering grew, making my current work become less and less fulfilling.” said Mr Miller.

After a weekend away in the Blue Mountains, Mr Miller jumped online to find a job in the area. Almost immediately a job popped up looking for a barber and shop manager to start up a premium barbershop in Lithgow.

“I pulled together my CV, cover letter and some of my barbering work, and after two months of planning I handed in my resignation and moved to Lithgow.

“Name a trade that you can fit in a backpack and take with you all around the

world!” - Tim Miller

In 2018 Mr Miller went back to TAFE NSW Granville further develop his skills by completing the Certificate III in Barbering. “I was able to complete the course within three to four months, as I gained credit for subjects that I had completed in my previous TAFE NSW course, and recognition for the skills I was able to demonstrate through my management position at the barber shop.” 4.5 years on Tough Grind Barbers employs six barbers.

“Our barbershop is a warm, friendly and inclusive environment, where people come not just for a haircut and a coffee but for a friendly conversation.

“We take our trade very seriously and, thanks to the experience we’ve received from TAFE NSW, have high standards for our work at all times.” said Mr Miller.

WHEN DID YOU START TEACHING CERT3 IN BARBERING AT TAFE? HOW ARE YOU FINDING THAT?

I began teaching cert 3 in barbering in July 2020. Despite Covid-19, we were able to have face to face classes with a small group of students. I am absolutely loving the teaching, and the opportunity to pass on and even learn new skills from budding barbers. This year I have 3 classes of barbering students.

IS IT COMMON AMONGST YOUR STUDENTS THAT THEY HAVE A SIMILAR STORY TO YOU, CHANGING PROFESSIONS FOR BARBERING?

I attended my original course (statement of attainment in Men’s Barbering) with a number of guys like me, who were looking to change careers and become barbers. These guys were all leaving office jobs, construction and service jobs in search of a job more aligned to their values, and a desire to have a social and interactive job. Barbering is a job where you have opportunities every day to make someone’s day better; that’s pretty awesome.

HOW POPULAR IS BECOMING A BARBER COMPARED TO OTHER TRADES LIKE CARPENTER OR ELECTRICIAN ETC?

I would love to know the stats on that. Name a trade that you can fit in a backpack and take with you all around the world! I’ve cut hair in Vietnam and Thailand on trips, I just threw my gear in my pack next to my boardies. I think Barbering attracts those who are relational and social. The Barbering course can be completed in 12-18 months depending on the learner’s abilities, which allows a person to upskill and be in the industry faster than other trades, (but like all trades, the skills take time to develop into a craft).

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO TEACH?

I wanted to do for others what they did for me, train other barbers entering or improving their skills in the industry. I loved my time as a student at Granville TAFE, and am so grateful to the teachers that corrected, grew and honed my skills as I studied. I knew I had to change industries... My best mate Steve called me out one day when we were catching up for a coffee... “Tim you’re not happy man”. He called it! I knew I needed to make a change, and I needed to ditch the office job and go and do something where I could talk with people as part of my job. I love meeting new people and doing life with my clients. I often get as much joy out of the time as they do.

Teerapon Pearaponwiput

AKA SUNSHINE

“If I can improve myself every day, I am confident that every day will be a better day.”

Collette Saunders founder of Australian Female Barbers had the brilliant idea of holding a competition for Australia’s Barberette’s by way of submissions of images of their work. These images were to be taken by the Barber, in the chair or in the shop, real, raw and unfiltered. Everyone had the same brief 2 models, 3 shots each, one front on, one side on and one from behind, the results exposed …pure talent!!

Congratulations to everyone involved and especially the winner Sunshine Teerapon Pearaponwiput AKA Sunshine who we had the pleasure of interviewing and featuring this issue as part of her swag of prizes.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL OUR READERS YOUR BARBER STORY SUNSHINE?

I have been barbering for about 7 years now. It all started in Bangkok, Thailand, where my mum used to work as a hairdresser. I used to try cutting my brother’s hair, but it turns out I had unleashed a mess upon his head. Since then, I have always had this feeling that I wanted to prove myself when it comes to barbering. Time passed by until I graduated from university and worked as a Creative at the radio station in Thailand and then I decided to take barbering seriously. I asked my mum to teach me how, but she told me to attend a specialist school for proper training and simply come to her if I had any questions. In 2013, I attended a barber course taught by a government-funded vocational school that offers free lessons. I eagerly attended the class every weekend and always asked my friends and colleague for a chance to practice. I started offering my services as a part-time job for new clients, while I was working full-time in an advertising agency. I decided to follow my passion to become a full time barber like my mum in 2016. I’m currently working at Another Man Barber & Shop at Caulfield North and Queen Victoria Market. I have been working for a little more than a year; and even though it is not my own barbershop, we work together as a family.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WINNING THE AFBA AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

I was so happy that I could not stop myself from crying. Coincidentally, the result was announced exactly on my birthday. To me, it was like a dream come true; it was the best birthday present of my entire life. This competition means a lot to me because sadly my family did not support my decision to become a barber in Thailand. So, I moved to Australia to pursue my passion. Winning this award is the best way to prove to my family that I am serious about being a barber. It is what I love, and it is what I am passionate about.

I found that being a barber while being a woman of Asian background is difficult. There can be so many limitations at work where people often do not believe that I can be and am a good barber. This award is the best affirmation I could display to prove my skills and dispel any doubts about me. I am so happy and proud to be the first Thai person to win this award. I have received so much goodwill and friendship from both domestic and international fellow barbers. I am so very grateful to have been part of this competition and community.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WINNING SUBMISSIONS AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THEM.

My submission is inspired by the 2 styles that I personally love: the modern hairstyle and the classic hairstyle. The first submission is what I would call a Crop, textured with mullet hairstyle. I love the mullet because I think it exudes such a sense of Australia and felt that it would combine very well with the Crop Textured style that I like. I thought that if I can pull this fusion off, it will be a masterpiece that can showcase a multitude of skills within a single haircut, namely, scissors clipping, fade cut with a trimmer, and razor texturising. I was also lucky that my model has very thick black hair, which is very suitable for a razor cut since it accentuates his hair’s beauty even more. The other submission is called a Medium Skin fade with Side Part hairstyle. I wanted this second piece to be completely different from the first one. The first piece is modern in style; I tried to return to classic and simple, yet cool and elegant. This is an iconic hairstyle that never gets old, where I can truly showcase my fading skill.

WHO ARE YOUR BARBER IDOLS/ INFLUENCES?

The first person I cannot forget to mention is my mother. She is the person who sparked my interest in becoming a barber. I also personally love Charlie Grey from Hair in Motion, as he inspired me to be the barber I am today. There are also many internationally renowned barbers that I draw inspirations from such as Josh Lamonaca, Menspire Educator, Josh O-Meara-Patel(Barberjosh OP), Alan Beak, Robert-Jan Rietveld (Schorem Barber), Hayden Cassidy, Tori Gill, just to name a few. Everyone really drives me to become better at what I do.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF BARBERING.

I find it difficult to describe my style in a singular term. I like to mix and match several styles while also trying out new ones. I love all the styles, so I combine them all to create my own unique blend of technique.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS?

Honestly speaking, 5 years is a very long time into the future. I want to make today the best I can. I want to improve myself every day, learn all there is to know about barbering and hairstyling. I want to understand more, learn how to tackle challenges and be the best I can be. If I can improve myself every day, I am confident that every day will be a better day. Could you imagine that in the next 5 years? How amazing it would be by then?! I am very excited to see myself in the next 5 years as well! I am sure it will be a bright future ahead!

Instagram: @sunshinesmileyhappyface Facebook: Sunshine Smiley Happy Face Website: www.sunshinesmileyhappyface.com

Workplace: Another Man Barber & Shop Caulfield North 162 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield North 3161 Another Man Barber & Shop Queen Victoria Market513 Queen St Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne 3000 www.anothermanbarber.com Special mention must also go to:2nd Place Winner: Salma Spahic @salmaslays.fades 3rd Place Winner: Stephanie Siljanovski @hairbystephanie.s

Letter To My Younger Self Steve Salecich

Hmm, what would I tell a young Steve Salecich who was about to embark on a barbering career, mate get back to school get your HSC and get a banking job! No just joking how boring would that be?

I think I have been blessed with my career which is coming up to 35 years, and I have been so fortunate to have worked under some of the most influential hairdressers Australia has produced. So, it’s not so much as to what I would tell myself because I was always eager to learn and get involved. Education was the catalyst to my career, I still remember those training nights that were long and arduous, you were tired and hungry wanting to go home but you hung in there and made it happen. I still love teaching to this day and passing on my wealth of knowledge to young inspiring barbers.

I think sometimes I could be a little harder and less trusting in some of my decisions but hey that would have changed my personality too much, and I really think I haven’t made to many mistakes. It’s funny, I have been burned by a few barbers over the years who I have taught and given them opportunities, looked after them like they are one of my own, only for them to lie, steal and then profess to go and start their own businesses. But hey I am still proud of the fact that I have given them the skills to be able to do it. They are the ones that must live with their decisions.

I don’t really know what else I would tell myself, because a lot of the time I wouldn’t change anything that I have gone through, and like I say a lot of times to young barbers, I like it when they make mistakes because that’s when you can show them their error, correct them, and that’s when it gets in.

I think I’m the luckiest guy out there because I have chosen one of the most enjoyable career paths one could pick, first it shows off your artistic flare and where else can you get a fix like that with every client. Then chatting to clients all day learning new and obscure things. Loads of laughs, great banter, what fun. Let’s do it again!

@grandroyalbarbers

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

You may have seen her amazing images on insta, Pati’s work is pioneering and ground-breaking to say the least. Her attention to detail is on point, and the love for what she does is evident by the joy you can see in her face and the light in her eyes when she is looking at her client mentally preparing one of her out-of-this-world designs….you can’t fake this sort of passion and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by her peers. Pati won the 2020 Up Coming Barber of the Year Award at BarberCon!!

3 tips for aspiring braiders

1. Take care of your body. Stretch, get massages, acupuncture and all the preventative

measures. (Your body and mind will thank you later.) 2. Take your time and remember details are essential. 3. Stay consistent, nothing was built overnight, learn, practice and learn some more.

Rob the Original Loving his Braids!!

LET’S MEET PATRICIA PLYMIRE….

Are you Texas born and bred? Please tell us about your upbringing.

Yes, I was born in Dallas, Texas but have lived in several different states and was raised in Mexico. I moved back to Texas right before I turned 14. I’ve lived in Austin for 15 years.

When did you start doing hair and braids?

I used to try to braid anyone who let me from the age of 6. I would practice of my doll or any friends that would sit still.

When did you start Barbering? What inspires you to Barber over women’s hairdressing?

I’ve had my barbers license for almost 6 years and cosmo licensed for almost 8. I’m dual licensed but I really enjoy the art of fading and braiding, it calms and soothes me.

Your work is so unique, where do you draw your inspirations from and design ideas?

I find inspiration in patterns and textures, pictures, colours, feelings, almost anything. I just let what’s in my mind project into my fingers and that’s how most of my freestyles are created.

I see you have a very busy education schedule, please tell us about that.

I think education is really important, it allows growth and growth is elevation. We never stop learning and I feel like I learn in teaching. I want to be able to spread as much love and light through my craft because I feel like that’s part of my purpose. And we need to help uplift one another. We have to keep growing otherwise we become stagnant.

BarberCon-NYC Awards 2020, Up-Coming Barber of the Year Congratulations!!

It was such a dope feeling getting that award! I’m so grateful for it, and to Lee for seeing my growth and reciprocating my energy. I can’t wait for Barbercon Austin and well, all of them.

Please tell us about the companies you are an Ambassador for, @schedulicity and @stlyefactor_edge

Schedulicity has been such an amazing family to me. I’m so grateful for the love and support. The booking app helps me stay grounded and in control of my daily schedule. It makes my life so much easier and helps me stay consistent and connected to my clients. My go to product is always Style Factor Edge Booster. They have so many pomades, they have fitting foam, a heat protectant, and so much more. They are also my second family and are very focused in growth and education as well. It’s all about loving and uplifting one another, love and light.