 Hey guys, this is Matt Beck from freesaloneducation.com here with Rebecca from the Hairstylist Education Forum, correct? Correct. So I can't wait to talk to you. We're at ISSE. We're live in front of everybody. Yes, we are. I can't wait to talk to you about the forum because it's just such a cool avenue for people to be able to post stuff. Yeah. And I want to get your thoughts behind why you started the forum and all of that. You have this huge following at this point. Kind of crazy. I'm going to break down and just kind of let everybody know how you did it, why you did it, and all of that. So I'm going to start off. You grew up where? I was born in Pittsburgh, but Northwest Florida, which is nothing really to brag about, but currently there in Pensacola. So you're in Florida? Yeah. All right. It's hot and humid there. I was just there two weeks ago with Millennium and it was like, it's not like here. Can I be frank and say whatever? You can say whatever you want. It's kind of like the butthole of Florida is where I live. Florida has a butthole, that's good. And I live there, so it's very humid. So you grew up in Florida and you became a hairstylist when? Ten years ago this year, actually. Everyone I've talked to today has been a hairstylist, well, except for Candy Shaw, but everybody's been a hairstylist for ten years. It must be like the magic number. We finally figure out what we want to do ten years later. So you became a hairstylist ten years ago. When did you start this education forum? I've always been interested in educating stylists. I've always been really passionate about it, but in April of this year it'll be a year. And we're almost up to 25,000 stylists. Only stylists. It's not a group for anybody other than a stylist, a student, or a barber. Yeah, because they have to be accepted, right? Exactly. So the beauty for me with creating a Facebook group, which is kind of the new trend, is because the people that follow that group see what you post. Yeah. If you have a regular Facebook fan page or like page, you post something, maybe you have 10,000 followers, but 100 people see it. Yeah. In a group, everybody can get to be part of the conversation. Exactly. So the reason I'm watching the hairstylist education forum is because somebody will post the questions constantly all day, and then they get 100 responses right after. And you can refer back to it, and it's just like a thread of really great information. Yeah. And there are a lot of people there. Like you mentioned Candy Shaw. Yeah. Dean, the creator of Olaplex. The Doves. The Sonya and Christopher Dove. Yeah. Nicaroho. You name it. Like, CEOs of companies are in that forum, along with us regular stylists. The great thing about it is you created something that is that powerful. It's nuts. And you've been doing it. How old are you? I'm 34. 34? Okay. Yeah. So think about that. I mean, you've been doing it for 10 years. You created something that most large companies don't have that following. No. So all these large companies are now looking at how do we start to kind of help out and help hairdressers. And that's the whole movement that's happening in the industry. Exactly. The climate's changing. Before it was just manufacturer influence. And if you were any sort of educator, you had to work for a company. And now I don't work for a company. I was, you know, with Joica for six and a half years, but I'm independent. And I think it's kind of making large manufacturers be a little scared or, I don't know, like they need to change now because the climate's changing. What it's going to do is it's going to make large corporations more personal. Yeah. You know, they're going to have to realize that it's even with hairdressers in general. Yeah. Because the ego gets so big, if you write them on Facebook, they don't write you back. It's true. They don't even acknowledge that you exist. But we're hairdressers. Yeah. You know, like we're people. That's exactly right. And that's what creating a forum or creating things, it's communicating with stylists. So I love that you have created that avenue. How many followers are on there now? Almost 25,000. Okay. Yeah. So now what do you think the future looks like for what you're doing? Like now that you've built this? Yeah. You've built Heff, by the way. Heff? Yeah. That's way easier to remember. Well, the loving term that we call members is Heffers, which I mean, I don't know. You can take it or leave it, but yeah. But I don't know where the future is leading with that, but we're having manufacturers like donate products and money and, you know, to hold Heff exclusive contests. I don't know where it's going to go. I don't know what I can say or not. Where would you like it to go? Like when you think about the future and, you know, you're 10 years into the business, where do you think, like, what would be your dream scenario? That's really hard because I'm sort of taking every experience as it comes. I've been asked to be on stage with the intercofiora. I'm going to say it wrong. And then BTC is contact me. This is not, none of this is something that I thought would happen five years ago. So I'm just along for the ride. When I reach one goal, there's the next goal and the next goal. I'm just sort of riding it until I don't know. I'm very passionate about it. That's cool. Yeah. So what do you think, coming up in the future, do you have anything planned? Are you going to be at any other shows? Yes. I'm going to do the ABS and Stylus Choice Award in Chicago. I also am a private educator. So I'm touring the U.S. right now doing my private education. Some magazine projects coming up. What's your education background? So you worked for Joyco? Yeah. I was a national educator for Joyco for six and a half years. So I had that, you know, that manufacturer influence. Yeah. I've done a lot of, like, at hair schools, gone and spoke in front of hair schools. But mainly that's my manufacturer background. It's Joyco. So now I just didn't want to be affiliated with a company anymore. I wanted to do it myself, my way, not follow, like, you know, with a manufacturer, you're almost feeling like you're being sold. Like, you have to use their vernacular sort of. I think people really relate to a stylist teaching a stylist. Right, exactly. I do have a background, but I personally prefer private education. Awesome. So how can people get a hold of you? Instagram is a big one. Vivid Artistic Care Design. Vivid Education is my email. And then the Hairstylist Education Forum. We have to be friends on Facebook for me to add you. But I've reached my stupid 5K limit. So find me on Instagram and we'll figure it out that way. Okay. All right, cool. So make sure you guys, if you haven't joined the Hairstylist Education Forum. Awesome. You do that. There's a lot. I mean, you can get all kinds of advice from all different industry professionals and everything. So thank you so much for sitting down. Thank you. Thank you to Millennium. I can't talk. Millennium Systems International for letting us use their booth and do these great interviews with awesome people like Rebecca. Pieces of love. Pieces of people. People. So thank you guys so much and we will see you guys on the next video. Thank you. Appreciate it.