 Hey guys, welcome. This is freesaloneducation.com Matt Beck. I'm here with American Salon magazine. We're at the premiere beauty show I've got Sam Villa here. What's up Matt? Super excited. I pretty much say I'm excited to talk to everybody but I am legitimately excited for the fact that You were doing free content before free content was cool. Wow, right? Yes, yep, you've been doing it forever and I you know I launched freesaloneducation.com the goal was you know, just to educate I watched the way that you create videos is It's knowledge first and then everything else comes after that. Well, you know what man I think one of the most important things as a hairdresser we must never cease to learn You know why because I really believe Matt there's danger in the comfort zone So a lot of times I'm telling hairdresser's keep one foot in the comfort zone and one foot out Yeah, always continually to challenge yourself to do something another way that you already do, right? You know like even cutting a one-link bob Can you imagine if you can find three four ways to cut a one-link bob? See that's what keeps that's when you're excited You understand it that like so I've actually come out across this quite a bit is now that you create so much content You have to go back and you create the same You know one length bob or whatever right when you cut it differently like maybe you cut it horizontally one day You cut it vertically the other day now. You're understanding all aspects of haircutting not just the one way Like so so so true and the most important thing about that is this is that one link bobs as we know Matt They're difficult to cut right right, so it's about finding. I think that the world is so fast-paced now It's about finding simplicity. Yeah simple ways to do things like a lot of times Matt I'll teach this whole concept of compressed cutting Yeah, you know like Montreal, Canada when I took a big section like that and lifted it Elevated and cut it they just cringed and they kept cringing through the haircut, right? But what was great to watch their faces when I dried it and then I did an interview with an editor from a magazine in Montreal She said I have to be honest to tell you she goes in Montreal We're we don't do it that way right? She goes we were all watching you do this and we go that guy is crazy But she said I have to tell you when you were done it was absolutely beautiful So she said there is another way to cut hair. Yeah, there is and there is you know There's a reason there's a reason behind everything we do. Yeah, and I think so Condense cutting when you look at things like that like condense cutting you're condensing an entire section as long as you understand The why behind it, which is what you guys have mastered in explaining the why thank you tell me about tell me about your team How did how did the whole thing get started? When did it start? Well, I think it really started for me personally when I I've always been teaching now for 35 years, right? But I didn't really know I was really in sports and I was coaching quite a bit So I knew you know how to go about teaching buddy someone how to do something But when I got in the hair world, I really knew that I wanted to be a platform artist or be a teacher So I figured out how to do that But what really jumped start me was when I joined Redkin and they said Sam you need your you're really good But you need to turn it around and focus on the learner It's learner-based and I didn't quite understand said learner focus They said focus on the learner make everything based what you do what you teach for the learner Okay, when you take yourself out of the way Matt it all comes out in a genuine way I have to be honest to say I don't understand sometimes how platform arts can get up on a stage and make things sound so difficult Yeah, you know or they make things look so difficult when they can be so so simple So it was about you know teaching buddy somebody something, but then you had to have the why behind it I think too many teachers are out there teaching them. Here's how you do it, right? But they never get the why in there. Yeah, and when you get the why in there people are like, oh, I get it Yeah, for example condensed cutting the example I use is like taking paper in a paper cutter the less paper you take the edges really clean Yeah, the more paper you take you get the paper moves and you get this soft little curved line Yeah, so I tell people so why would you want to take section by section get a precise and then go in there and slice It or point cut it into it, right? You know, let's press it. Yeah, and they go well Sam. That's not how I was taught Yeah, right. Yeah, you always hear that right, but you know what? Like I said, there's more than one way to do something, you know, they always they told the Delta soon It's never gonna work and guess what it worked and then they said you're gonna be precision cutting for a while and then we start slicing and we start point cutting and We did that because the consumers were picking up round brushes, right? And I'll never forget a salon owner said Sam you need to get over your precision little self I go what do you mean Bob? He said I'm gonna teach you how to point cut. I'm gonna teach you how to slice Yeah, and I said that's not how I was taught and then he made a comment He said your taste will be a journey in this industry He said your taste buds your eyes are gonna change in terms of how you see things your hands are gonna change the way You do things right? He goes I'm teaching you this because if you keep cutting everything blunt and precise It collapses the discovery Sam is if we slice it and we do this But it balances for the canvas and it functions then the clients gonna be happier because they got a round brush in their hand Right now when I understood the why behind that I was all in I jumped it Yeah, it completely makes sense because it's so hard for somebody to if they're creating if you have a precise shape That you've cut and then that client's trying to recreate that at home, right? It's not not oh, yeah So definitely really impossible. I think that's why I'm into this whole world of simplicity Yeah, you know clients and correct me out there if I'm wrong, but clients one in and they want out Yeah, so you have to understand, you know, there's sir There's some clients and I'm gonna take me that we can take an hour for a haircut and a finish But there's some clients where you know you can get that shape done in 30 to 45 minutes It's still great quality shape and without sacrificing customer service But it's but their life is so fast-paced they want in and they want out just like you color us out there They figured out how to eliminate a hundred foils, right, right? They figured that out. Yeah, so I mean it's all about discoveries Yeah, so you would so you started when did you start the Sam via ran matter of fact? Funny that you ask. Yeah yesterday was our eight-year anniversary Launched it here at premiere a lot Orlando. Okay, we launched it eight years ago Oh, wow, and I had to walk back in that corner where we were and stand there Yeah, let's say this is where it all began. So tell me about that like what was that booth like? What was that? Oh, it was it was overwhelming, right because I never realized You know how much respect I had in the industry and then when I put my name on something People will come just the booth was slammed and we were like what you know, I said, what do you stand line for a comb? I go you're standing in this long line for a comb. They said Sam I've been waiting for you to put something with your name on it. I just want to hold I just want to hold it That's awesome Matt that that you know, that's there's nothing you can't pay enough money for that Yeah, well the thing I look up to you for is the fact that like I I just see You are the person that just you give you give to the industry You're not asking for anything and and that's when you're so people are looking up to you for that And I see like people are who would you recommend platform artists the year all that stuff It's always your name put in there because of the hard work that you put in the dedication you have to the industry So that's really cool. So tell me about What's coming up in the future with Sam via and the products and just everything? I know you always have yeah, there's some cool stuff. We have come happening I want to go back to that comment that you made I really believe Matt that if I can help people get what they want I'll get what I want right, you know And that's the whole philosophy of the brand and we've got some great stuff coming up I want to create another series of shears So what I'm doing Matt is I wanted to come out of the gate and gives a sheer that's good quality That was in the medium price range. Okay, that a lot of hairdressers could afford that was really important to me Yeah, then I came out with another series called essential series and I said to myself I want to make this for the kids coming out of school I want to wake it make it for the hairdressers that can't afford a five hundred right hundred three hundred dollars here Yeah, now I'm coming out with a Rolls Royce Okay So now it's time to come out with the sheer that there's a tribe out there that want they they have no problem Paying nine hundred a thousand dollars for your shares So I want to go in there You know, so I'm just putting my feet in the marketplace in terms of the Those price ranges because I want to be able to capture all of the market not just a particular mark Okay, so I'm excited about the shears. I'm also excited about the new blow dryer Okay, and the reason I'm going to come out with another blow dryer is my whole The brand is set up on ergonomics. Okay, the brand is set up on education so ergonomics to me blow dryer was important that's light and quiet and Compact so you don't have the extension of that arm. Okay yet the response I get on the blow dryer There's a tribe out there. It says I wish your blow dryer was more powerful. Okay. I wish it was hotter Okay, now I'm against really intense heat yet, right? I want to satisfy that tribe out there So I'm going to come out with a blow dryer that has an AC motor, so it's going to be heavier It's going to be powerful still quite ergonomics compact short-hausal the whole bet But it's going to be heavier because it's going to be more powerful. Okay, so that's in the mix to blow dryer I can't wait for the curling iron Man, I'm telling you I've been working on this project for four years. Okay, the curling iron Why is the thermal tool industry forcing us to? Spring activated isn't pretty amazing, right? Yeah, when you think about it It's difficult to find a good Marcel. Yeah. Yep. So I'm making a Marcel iron. Okay, but imagine this man You push a button Marcel handle comes off and now you got a wand. All right Now you got me on that part. Yes, because what I want is I want to I'm a guy that wants to satisfy the hairdresser's needs Right hairdresser making tools for the hairdresser's for the right reason, right? I'm not about the money So it'd be easier for me to make a Marcel and here's a wand I want to give them two irons and one that's important to me. Yeah, and it's a longer barrel These short little barrels they sell to us and we're trying to get in there and do this and just get some bend and wrap the hair Yeah, it's longer barrel and push a button Comes off and snaps right back in I'm in I was just doing a client yesterday And I was wrapping her hair around a large barrel curling iron right with the spring load But you know not using the spring loaded part. So yeah, I'm all in on that Yeah, isn't it cool? Yeah, right. So I'm gonna come out and then beginning. I'll come out with Marcel and spring now Why spring because I want them to be able to retail an iron spring activated to the consumer. Okay, Marcel Professional so I think sometimes we have to ask ourselves as hairdressers behind the chair What sets us apart from the consumer, right? Sometimes it's a simple tool that you're holding in your hand Yeah, and then again, there's consumers out there. So I want the same blow dryer you're holding You know sir. Yeah, you never know I mean, we might have that with the iron but right now those are the items that are really really excited about that's very cool And then so and you have a great team. I've met Andrew Andrew's awesome a ton of times and your team keeps growing Yes, so is that something that are you looking for? Education people is there something is that something your company does? Yes, we are we're a growing company And we're becoming much more in demand and I can't do everything myself Right my obligations with red kid, right? So Andrew is awesome in terms Andrew is a lot like me We believe in people right we believe that people by people then they buy things Yeah, so it's about making that connection. We make that connection with the way we teach We make that connection with our tools, but most importantly is we are we got to grow our team, right? You know and as a leader, I have to know when to step aside That's important really important and give these kids the opportunity to grow so we're growing our team We just brought on board Jesse Lenaris, okay? He was an ex-Redkin artist and he's awesome. He's great I think he and Andrew or Andrew is building a new cutting system for us. Okay. I'm so immersed in Redkin It's difficult for me to think differently than what I think right Andrew's built a new cutting system Which will be launching out in January 2017 is our goal. Okay, and then Jesse will contribute to that But I you know what? And I don't have a problem saying this I need a woman On stage on stage on stage. I want to make that perfectly clear man I need I think we got to open the door for a woman to get up there and teach So I'm looking for a female that's really good with long hair and they can cut and can color and it's difficult to find I mean we've we've had we did a big audition process We had over 300 people apply right my artistic director Geneva Cowan and Andrew were in charge of narrow it down to like five people Okay, and the five people they narrow down to we're all guys. I said, where's the women we need a woman? Yeah, Sam, you know, we just didn't get what we feel is the right fit. Okay, the right need So that's what I really want to do is add women But we're growing as a team and I think it's important to grow as a team And this is what I keep saying to people too like you so a lot of people want to they want to be educators They want to be platform artists or whatever I think now is the time where it's easy if you want to put in the work to Reach out to companies like Sam Villa via social media Yes, you guys are definitely a big part of that and Tagging you in the work that they're doing absolutely getting involved in that way and then when you show up to a place Somebody already knows who you are right. So what else would you say? Somebody that's trying to come up in the industry What would be a piece of advice you would my I totally want to tag on the way you said I think social media is the way to go. It's a route to go You've got so much talent now coming out of two dimension the two dimensional world the social media world a lot of talent now Great with the hands and great with the eyes and great behind that screen Right a lot of times they come out from behind and now you put them in front of people But they can't teach right but they can do some beautiful hair So I think it's an opportunity for these people that are out there that want to become a platform artist I think what's really important is that you go the social media route yet at the same time You've got to learn how to communicate what it is that you're doing what you're doing exactly So my suggestion would be what I used to do when I was young would be grab a mannequin Get in front of a mirror the mirrors the audience and speak it out Yep, and you talk it out and I would talk it out while I was listening to rock a little music Why so I controlled my little voice so I could learn how to control this because sometimes there's a committee in here That talks to me, you know, and I got to learn how to control that committee That's a good social media is really the route to go then the other route would be show up of these shows Yeah, you've got to come to these shows if you want to be a platform artist You want to be an educator want to be a teacher you got yeah You have to see what people are doing you have to watch presenters learn from presenters learn the do's and the don'ts Yeah, you know what what's what are they doing that you like? What are they? Doing that doesn't maybe fit for you and walk away with those ideas and those things and then make them your own You know one of the mistakes I did Matt was I'll never forget The very first show I did About 200 people in the audience Speaking before me and doing a haircut was Paul Mitchell Right Paul Mitchell himself and this was the guy that I would I mean just Right followed So I got up there and I tried to be Paul Mitchell and my guy that was my coach at the time and helping me He said what are you doing? I go He goes sam you weren't you yeah, you were trying to be somebody or not Right he goes the reason people are like you is who you are and what you're about He goes don't ever change that again and don't try to get up there and be somebody or not You've got to be true to who you are. Yeah big true learning lesson for me. Yeah, I totally agree I worked I worked for Paul Mitchell the company for 10 years And I found myself trying to be those people for a long time Is that true and then my my wife constantly reminded me to To be myself and then you know when I finally launched my company it was I started to get it. I started to understand who I was right and that's really cool to hear Well, I love you because I I love listening your interviews. You're very natural about it Thanks, you know, you're just very much you and you're just I could tell you care about the person you're talking to But you also have genuine concern from the industry. Yeah, you know, and I think if you have that You know the the people pushing you to the top That's what's a lot of people like to be interviewed. I love to dig out and figure out what how the heck everyone else did everything So this is a way better seat for me Because I get the insider information So that's very cool. So anybody wants to follow sam via Sam via everything, right? Yeah, so it's a sam via here is our instagram Sam via professional is our Professional facebook page. Okay, and then also be sure to check out the the youtube channel slash sam via that That's where all the education goes. Yeah, you know, I mean youtube is a place. I mean Such a cool plan. You know what man people are. Yeah, exactly people go word. Where'd you come up with that? I go I'm the messenger I'm the guy that goes out there finds it and then I deliver it right. I I've been doing this for 39 years I stand in front of people motivated by the passion to teach right over the 39 years matt So many people have shared so many things with me I choose to stand in front of people and pay it forward and give that information and share that information I don't stand in front of people to be a rock star To be a visionary to be a genius or nor to be an inventor I stand in front of people proud to be a hairdresser who chooses to be a teacher. Awesome on that note We'll end it