 Hey guys, this is Matt Beck from free salon education.com here was one of my favorite people in the world Oh, you're so sweet. Yes. So candy shot. I met you two years ago Almost like to the day like maybe pretty much. It was in February actually two years ago in an interview Yeah, that's right. You had just launched Sunlights Balayage. Yes, so What in the world like so big things have happened in the last two years Wow lots of stuff So let's talk about your launch two years ago and and let's grow that Conversation to what is what happened last night? Oh my god. Let's talk about you launched your product. We met You started you dad. Did you have any distributors at that point? You were no actually it's so funny Matt I remember when I met you I was so nervous. I was like, who is this dude from free salon education? He is so important, you know with all your followers and everything and that was in a millennium event Yeah, and I was just so honored that you interviewed me and we talked about the box And we were talking about the class in the box and what it does for hairdressers and why I made it and you know the whole just sort of organic vibe about education because both of us are passionate right about education and Then fast-forwarding this March. We celebrated our two-year birthday, right at the ABS in Chicago Had cake, you know fat suits, gave away bicycles, you know all kinds of crazy things But you know, it's been so exciting. It's been such an incredible ride and just this week We launched the Bali box in Australia. That's all and we're in the Netherlands and we're just I mean It's just growing like crazy And I'm just so humbled by the Balayage believers out there that just have supported me in this process It's been amazing. Oh, that's great. So tell me so you For the last two years, we've been kind of working together. I use your product in my salon Thank you, that's very cool. If you guys don't know the Bali box is a Balayage kit Yes, that that you launched a couple years ago. So you've been out promoting it You've been at every show. I see the yellow. Yes, right warrior But you have like but you've done a lot of other things in the industry before that, right? Oh, yeah, I've had an Academy for 20 years in Atlanta. I have a 50 chair 50 year young hair salon I still work behind the chair Matt. I mean, I'm still behind the chair doing 25 to 35 guests a day. I love it Yes, I am now becoming I'm taking that new position as road warrior, but you're you travel a lot yourself But what's been really exciting is along with the Bali box We've just been able to change lives, you know, it's it has been a real paradigm shift for hairdressers Right who now can be more efficient behind the chair. They can work smarter not harder, right? You know the Bali box is a class in the box. Yes, but really what it is is it's a new way of doing hair You know painting hair is the hottest thing going. Yeah, as you know, everybody is out there doing it now You know, you wake up every morning to that, you know, that Pinterest and Facebook and Instagram What do I do with this? No, but the reality is what I love is the profitability that hairdressers have now they can do more with less Yeah, so nobody wants to work more, right, you know, basically what they want to do is work smarter not harder And you know Balayage gives us that tool and really we can all be artists I think that's why we went into this industry to begin with absolutely So you so we now fast-forward two years later. I meet up with you here last night was a big night for you Yes, you took your brand to a certain level. Correct. What would you say? So you have distribution all over the place you're launching in Australia, right? Well, it is it's crazy what happened last night. You're so funny because I Would have never dreamed that this is where I would be sitting and this is what I would be doing is talking to you about You know really kind of what happened, but it took us 100 days to lock up 46 states of distribution in the US. It's unprecedented, right? That just tells you about hairdressers, you know Something organic touchable feelal, you know something they can relate to a person who can sort of lead that charge and educate them You know, my brand is education base, you know I created a product product, you know buy one hairdresser for all hairdressers and So I set up distribution then that grew to the you know the EU market then that is now, you know We're launching Russia and it's just crazy. It is but so we entered the beauty pet shark tank So tell me why why enter it if you've got that if you're already have distribution all over the world Scale scale, okay, you know, that's really that's the hard thing I mean, we're a mom and pop, you know, I work with my husband and my son and You know, it's us. That's it. I mean we built the brand we did we do all the marketing If you show up at a hair show and you see Candy's booth It is all family. It's all family. I'm on my hands and knees. They're all yellow. Yes Yeah, I'm on my hands and knees doing it I mean, I don't have some big show teams show crew that comes in sets up and then the diva walks in and teaches the class Right, you know, we're really a hands-on family and that's what we love about it, you know And so for us, why do we in our beauty pet shark tank was simply because The scalability, you know keeping up with the demand has been right redunculus. Yeah I mean, you know, I never thought in a million years that you know lightener could change the world You know, it's always hair color. It's always shampoo. It's always I thought you could launch a company with just lightener Just lightener. We had nine skews. That was it, you know, of course now we've grown the brand to more to more things but but the reality is who thought that and so we entered for those reasons and because These people are knowledgeable. They know what's going on and so you so tell me so I wasn't here So I was flying in you get up in front of everyone. So you had already submitted your videos and all there's two categories Okay, so there's a startup. Okay, and then there is a Mature, you know more mature brain No, mine was actually started up because it's under fine, you know under a certain amount of money Okay, you know and so we entered and then we got down to six six or twelve finalists And then they did sort of a Skype interview with us and then they called us and said, oh, you know you've gotten to be one of the three finalists, okay, and So last night in a big ballroom here at the Mandalay Bay You know we came in and got up on stage in front of Kevin Harrington and John Paul Dejurian and a couple of editors from L magazine. How was it being in front of John Paul? Oh my god trying to launch Well, first of all, I have right big massive respect for you know And I actually went when Paul Paul Mitchell was alive right to the avipui farms in Hawaii as a child So I've known that brand since and John Paul said it last night when they had $700 in their pocket Right, you know, and so I've sort of known it from the very birth and the very beginning right I have Unbelievable respect for him and the the whole Paul Mitchell culture their schools everything about them But looking at him last night was just sort of it was surreal, you know, because here's somebody who you Wish to be like, you know, you would just have just a tenth of his knowledge Right, and then he's asking you questions and interested in your brand, right? So it was great. It was really good and you won and then we won in our category, right? And so the Kirchner group Presented us a check for $5,000. Whoop whoop. We tried to put it in the slot machine last night, but it did not work We actually walked into the craps table and said can you guys let us put this down on red or whatever? No, you can't but but the reality is these people are knowledgeable and it was just an honor Right to be and with the people in the categories that we were with were amazing to the other the other brands That's awesome. Yeah, so so what's gonna happen? Well, we took the money and ran And then now basically it starts up conversations with people who might be investing and Looking for a way to invest Exactly exactly it's not quite straight up like Shark Tank where you take a deal right in the moment, right? I think what it does is just sort of open doors for you to have great conversations about, you know Where you're at and what you're doing and talking about that. That's that's what the industry is Yeah, like you for a long time have built those relationships with different people Absolutely the next step in your relationship building definitely winning this contest Right, but it's really if anybody wants to get anywhere in this industry or in your town to become a successful hairdresser It's all about individual relationships It is and you know what I'm so glad you touched on that map because I think the thing that I would love to tell To the viewers is Dream it go for it. You know, you don't want to burn bridges make great relationships I have so many amazing relationships with people in our industry And you know, I woke up one morning as a hairdresser I go to bed as a hairdresser and now I'm a manufacturer. I go to bed a mom You know, I go to bed a hairdresser. I mean, I'm I'm no different than you anybody You know, if if you really think if you're passionate about it and you really think I know people overuse that word It's like oh if you have passion, but the reality is if you've got something that can help people they'll listen And I think anything that is backed by a good education will always be a winner. Yep And I can't wait to see what happens in the next two years. I mean my gosh you again Yes, well, please don't wait two years. It's a long time. I didn't do that before This is our third time. I know I'm getting really good at this. Yeah, but um, but I always love talking to you Thank you to American salon for surprising me with the interview with you today I know it's awesome partnership because I I started working with American song this year to Because they have so many connections with people. Yes, I'm talking to everyone. I know I know literally everyone You sort of pinch yourself, you know, what's really funny? I'm so glad you said that too because I was looking at my phone last night And I was thinking trying to look up somebody's number and I was thinking. Oh my gosh, I have his number in my phone I have her number in my phone Moving on up here. I mean these these are some big hitters These are some really important people that are on my speed dial that I did not have two years ago By the way, so true and of course you are always on my speed dial, right? But we um, but I In a lot of people ask like why do you why would you do like because the interviews there? You know, you could put out a haircutting video to get, you know a million views sure put on interview You get three thousand those three thousand people are they solid? Yeah, they're solid They're solid. They're the hairdressers that are watching and soaking up every word and hopefully Understanding that every person that I'm sitting down with is my relationship, right? It's building that Solid foundation so that someday when you have something, right? You never know You never know just keep working hard and I love that I've gotten to watch your company grow Thank you. So it's pretty exciting. Yeah, and you know I Relationships with magazines and press are always great and I do agree with you with what you're saying I often say even my Instagram, you know, I would rather be I would rather have Solid people who are watching me that care than buying friends just to have a number Yeah, you know and and I guess my advice to anybody would be you know Continue to keep keep yourself spread into every place that you can be and never say no to an interview Never say no to an opportunity Work for free because it's okay. Yeah, it does have a great residual and pay out in the end Yeah, it's not really people think it's Free, but it's not not working for now If you're somewhere that can bring you value later in life like or you're enjoying the time that you're spending Yeah, then who cares how much you get paid for it's true Do you one other thing because you launched Tammy's tips for Tuesday? Yeah tips on Tuesday I mean who the hell is Tammy Tammy's tips on Tuesday Tuesday tricks with candy. Wait, wait, I Got all the teas going so wait candy's tips on Tuesday Wait, so you launched these tips I watch them. I'm like infatuated with thank you So does Christina because she's like oh my gosh candy's got a new tip out and I'm like, okay. Let's watch it. So Tell me Why did you why'd you start doing the tips and what is it done? Because I guarantee it's done. Oh, it's done so much Everybody had you know how they would say throwback Thursdays and you know all these different things were happening through Facebook and social media and Instagram and I thought wait a minute Hairdressers are bored on Tuesdays, right because our core business is always the middle to the end of the week Yeah, and so I thought this is a great opportunity for me to get organic in the salon and do things just live and in your face Yeah, and this was before periscope. This was before Facebook live. This is before all that right So I really kind of stole it from Matt back because he was already doing it for free salon education So I thought about you know what maybe what I'll do is do these tips and they can just always look forward to Tuesdays Yeah, I tell people look you don't even have to sometimes watch me You can just put it on your car and hit the button and drive to work and just listen to what I have to say because I'm teaching everything from French haircutting obviously balayage, but also business tips. Yeah, how to run your salon How to how to pay people how to do marketing? I mean there's a lot of things that I'm trying to share with and what I love is you do it pretty much out of your salon Yeah, unless you're on the road or something and the other thing what was I gonna say that I loved about it because You didn't you don't have a ton of fancy equipment. No, you're doing it. You're just filming it. Yeah My phone your iPhone yeah, so a lot of people are sitting there like what can I do? You made a schedule for your content. Yeah holds you accountable, right? Maybe you miss a Tuesday Yeah, but you know what then you're right back on track on the next Tuesday like I I Started this year. I was like, you know what I want to do a video every day. That's my goal, right? Did I do a video every day? No, yeah, but have I created 70 videos this year? Yeah, that's pretty darn good I wanted to try to create so you set a standard and you try to reach for it Right, and I think that that's cool that you did that especially because of the position that you're in now And how busy you are you're still behind the chair you're running your company and you're still Taking time for the content, which is the most important thing I agree I agree and I would love to watch quality education over just crap And you know there's a lot of as you know even a lot of clients in the mirror that you're like, okay But the reality is if I can help hairdressers, I think you know you I said last night to JP one of his sayings is success His sayings is success not shared is failure. Yeah, and you know for me. I want to share my success I want to share things that work for me. Right because if it can help somebody I'm all about helping them. Absolutely. Well, Candy Thank you so much. Thank you. It's always a pleasure. I will talk to you again soon Yes, not to yours if you get a chance stop by candy's booth at any hair show find the yellow and Check out the product. It's really awesome. Great. Thanks. Thank you so much Thank you. All right guys. Check us out free salon education calm check out American salon Magazine and all of their stuff on the internet as well and follow Candy Shaw Candy Shaw and the ball of the llama the ball of the llama the ball of the llama All right guys. Thank you so much for watching. We'll see you on the next one