Episodes
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In this episode of Hb Conversations, Gerard Scarpaci sits down with Ashley Mooney to discuss Areté, a groundbreaking beauty brand focused on sustainability and innovation for hair professionals. Ashley shares her journey from intern to CEO and the inspiration behind creating Areté, a brand that champions clean, high-performance products while staying true to the needs of stylists and their clients. They dive into industry trends like scalp care, the importance of balancing artistry with sustainability, and how mentorship and collaboration shape the future of the beauty world. Don't miss this conversation full of passion, purpose, and practical insights.
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At age 29, Carlos Rojas (@colorbycarlos) shifted gears into hairdressing. His years in the food service industry served him well—as did his touch of theatrical flair. Now Carlos is one of the industry’s most relatable voices. Carlos discusses how inspiration in the moment helps him craft his Instagram and TikTok posts, which blend education with comedy and resonate deeply with hairdressers and clients alike. He also talks about @schwarzkopfusa’s versatile IGORA COLOR10 range and explores how his content showcases its many uses, beyond just quick root touch-ups.
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Episodes manquant?
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Connections build opportunities, and no other industry proves that point more than the hairdressing industry. In this episode, we’re joined by @stef_fox and @jenbaudier, co-founders of Talent Match (@mymatchable), a groundbreaking platform that works like a dating app to match salon owners and hairdressers. Learn how they’re using data to solve the industry’s biggest hiring challenges, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and what’s next for this innovative tool. Whether you’re a salon owner or a stylist, this episode is packed with ways to help you find the perfect match.
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In this episode, we chat with Ian Mayer-Marszalek @ianhairspray, Senior National Trainer for Schwarzkopf Professional, about his journey from hairdresser to educator. Ian shares insights on career paths beyond the salon chair and how he's reshaping education by adapting to hairdressers' needs. We also explore the science behind Schwarzkopf’s Fibre Clinix range, designed for personalized hair care, and dive into their latest innovations like anti-yellow toning drops and bonding oils. Plus, Ian shares expert tips on how to choose and use these oils based on hair type.
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A quick glance at Ben White’s Instagram bio (@benmichahwhite) reveals his unique perspective. From his tongue-out profile pic to identifying his business as a Grocery Store, you can immediately sense Ben’s irreverent approach to life. In this episode, we explore how his creative mind works, how his background as a musician and singer (he's in three bands!) has shaped his outlook on hairdressing, and what surprises he has in store for the lucky hairdressers attending Hb Fest. (Hint: It may involve giving away some @babylissprousa tools!)
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In this episode, Brittany Bird @blondebybritt, owner of @blondifystudio, discusses the growing trend of clients taking to social media to criticize their hairdressers—whether justified or not. Brittany recently faced a viral TikTok post from a client upset about pricing, but thanks to her well-established systems, she was able to post a detailed rebuttal that protected her reputation. Together, Gerard and Brittany explore the importance of having strong systems in place to safeguard your business against online backlash and share tips on how to navigate the challenges of social media.
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With decades of experience in the hair industry, Stephen Moody, Artistic Director of Paul Mitchell, is a celebrated educator and innovator. Stephen’s recent wins at the North American Hairstyling Awards have garnered attention, particularly for his bold hair and model choices. In this interview, he discusses his frustration with "Lego" hair, and how this spurred him to enter and showcase textured hair and more mature models with attitude. Tune in as we explore Stephen’s journey, his passion for redefining beauty standards, and his insights into the future of hair and education.
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After 10 + years of salon ownership with all it's ups and downs Amanda and Jamie decided to build a "home " salon on their property in Florida. We discuss the process from all angles and what the outcome is like after nearly 4 years of work and planning. Ro Style House isn't like any "home" salon you may have seen before and Amanda & Jamie are loving their new venture.
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Sometimes hardships break a person; other times, they make a person. Such is the case with Fady "Fred" Helou (@fredhelou), whose difficult origin story propelled him to create the billion-dollar company Vagaro (@vagaropro). After leaving war-torn Lebanon at 18 and having his life savings pickpocketed en route to the U.S., Fred quickly got a job and began attending night school. In this episode, Fred shares how he started climbing the corporate ladder while fostering the idea of a system to facilitate online booking for salons and barbershops. Discover what finally compelled him to create Vagaro, the lessons he learned along the way, and his invaluable advice for other budding entrepreneurs.
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This Mother's Day, we're giving it up to @ashleenormanhair, who juggles motherhood along with her roles at Schwarzkopf and K18. Of course Ashlee's family (her husband in particular) is central to her success, but she also attributes the diversity of her background as a key factor. She shares how obtaining a degree, interning at a fashion magazine and pursuing advanced education, including at Vidal Sassoon and Bumble and bumble, helped shape her unique approach to hairdressing, education and presenting—not to mention her high standards. We talk about how Ashlee is paying these lessons forward, not only to hairdressers through her leadership and education, but also to her three children by showing that, with the right support, education and determination, women (and mothers) can have it all.
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In this episode, we celebrate Aveda’s newest line, Be Curly Advanced. We’re joined by scientist Christine Hall (@christinebhall) and textured hair expert Renée Gadar (@reneesrh), who, along with their teams, co-created the groundbreaking line to meet the needs of curly and coily hair types. We discuss the new range's technology and ingredients as well as how Aveda is supporting hair pros through education and training so they can excel with services for curly and coily hair.
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In this episode, Gerard Scarpaci chats with Ray Civello (@raycivello), renowned salon owner and founder of the environmentally friendly brand, Back of Bottle (@backofbottle). Ray talks about his background, what led him to product manufacturing and what sets BOB apart. From sustainability to products, they talk about the impact that product choice has not only on the client, but also the stylist, the environment and the health of the future.
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Meet Allison Daza (@allisondazahair), a salon owner and @davinesnorthamerica educator who is committed to sustainable beauty and regenerative agriculture. Allison shares how she puts her beliefs into practice at her studio and how she embarked on a journey of documenting sustainable beauty in partnership with Davines in a short-film series called “Stories From the Field.”
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Hairbrained is thrilled to welcome beauty industry veteran Gordon Nelson (@gordonwnelson) to the team as our new VP of Brand Partnerships. In this episode, we introduce Gordon to the Hb community by talking about his long history with the industry, which began with his father, who himself was a very well-known hairdresser. Gordon shares his personal history in the beauty world, which includes helping brands like Arrojo and Intelligent Nutrients grow and thrive. And he shares how excited he is to be working with Hb's brand partners to help them continue to flourish within the Hb community.
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Evan Joseph (@evanjosephcurls) relishes being an independent educator. But it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering he has been fiercely independent his whole life. In this episode, he explains how growing up gay in a small Midwestern town influenced him and his desire to help people whom mainstream hairdressing had tended to overlook: those who wanted to embrace their naturally curly hair. He reflects on how the industry has evolved, how his education is different, and what he has in store for the future.
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When Jorge Blanco met @davinesofficial's Davide Bollati some 20 years ago, little did he know how much it would change the trajectory of his life. At the time, Jorge was flexing his editorial and entrepreneurial muscles as co-founder of a lifestyle magazine. But a meeting of the minds found Jorge quickly accepting a six-month contract to work at Davines. In this episode, Jorge shares the story of his evolving role at Davines and how his storytelling abilities have transcended all aspects of the brand, from sustainability to education to product manufacturing, all while remaining true to Davines’ core ethos of culture and sustainability.
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Nick Stenson (@nickstenson) has had his hand in nearly every facet of the beauty business. His achievements include being a makeup artist and nail tech, not to mention an award winning hairdresser, brand ambassador, salon owner and founder of his own brand, @nickstensonbeauty. This cumulative experience gives him a unique and valuable perspective when it comes to his current role as the Senior Vice President of Store and Services Operations at @ultabeauty. In this episode, he shares how he champions the hairdresser at Ulta, how he helps celebrate hairdresser success, and how he was able to launch his own product line while juggling all of his other responsibilities.
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What began with a childhood love for painting has blossomed into a two-decade career that has taken Patricia Nikole around the world, helped her brand @paintedhair amass more than 1 million followers on Instagram and nearly 500K on TikTok, and made her one of the industry’s most sought-out educators. Recently named Schwarzkopf Professional’s Artistic Ambassador, Patricia shares what makes her high-contrast painting style so unique, why her partnership with her husband is essential to her success, and why it continues to be so important to engage on social media.
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Diana Osborne’s near miss with leaving the hair industry is a rather common one: Health issues triggered by certain salon products. Rather than leave the industry however, in 2019 Diana opened her own natural-products salon in Toronto. And when shutdowns paralyzed the world, Diana pivoted to an e-commerce focus and now has an online storefront that retails natural products like Innersense Organic Beauty. Tune in to learn how Diana overcame health challenges to not only thrive as an independent stylist, but also as a holistic hairdresser who will soon be offering education focused on holistic hair care.
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After a short stint in college, Carly Zanoni decided to take a chance on hair, and the rest is history. In this episode, Carly shares her beginnings as a young, insecure stylist to her reinvention as @the.blonde.chronicles, a brand that now includes a salon, education and a collaboration with Schwarzkopf Professional. She touches upon the challenges she faced and how she leveraged them as teachable moments, as well as her content creation strategy. Spoiler alert! Carly is a devout believer in recycling successful content, using editing apps and staying adaptable to social media trends. Tune in for more!
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