 Hey guys, this is Matt Beck from free salon education.com here with Brock and Cantrell From ergo. Yep. Yes. That's how you pronounce it, right? Yeah, somebody was pronouncing it wrong earlier I forgot the pronunciation. Yes. Yeah, absolutely some people pronounce it ergo. Oh, yeah, yeah And I guess that's technically correct, but ergo meaning ergonomics, okay for the mind body and soul exactly So we're gonna talk about ergo. We're gonna talk about Cantrell's Cool new venture. How long has it been? It's been um, I would say in four months five months. It's new. Yeah, it's super new Okay, so we're gonna talk about the hair house, which is a super cool education venture for Cantrell We got ergo products. So we're gonna start off. How do you two know each other? We met this morning. Yes in our in our taxi SUV thing. So they're coming in and I'm like, oh, you know I needed to talk to you guys today. Anyways, so how do you guys know each other and how did this happen? Oh, wow on Actually, it started from ergo ergo is what brought us together. Okay. I was brought on to the team I've got a story. We'll get into that a little bit later, but I met this handsome young gentleman and Stevie Wonder Rick games looking handsome guy and We've built a friendship and I'm proud to say this man is my best friend right on so Cantrell How'd you get hooked up with ergo? Ergo actually came out to my school my cosmetology school and I just fell in love with the whole pitch of ergo the story behind it energy the fact that it's a small company and The owner of the company is actually doing a lot of the work in foot traffic. So I really fell in love with that Yeah, and you are you're pretty new to the industry, right? I mean, yeah I'm I'm I'm gently under five years. I used to like that Which is fantastic because you've had a lot of success already. I believe if I've heard correctly through drinks last night I heard that you have You've you've done a lot in your career so far only being gently under five years So tell me tell me what your big things have been this year and just you know what you have going on right now Well, I think one of the most recent exciting Gifts that I've been given what has been the nomination for behind-the-scenes awards of the year From harebrained, so I got into their video awards and I'll find out this March if I win It's awesome. Are you gonna be there? Are you going to New York? I think it's gonna be a surprise for everyone So you so you got that nomination Did I hear that you're also are gonna put work somewhere else or you're trying for something else is that true or like nah-ha Nah-ha is gonna be another surprise for everyone including myself But you know what what I love is that you've been in the industry less than five years, right? Yes, and that's a that's a thought in your mind. Yes. Oh, yeah, I've already I've entered now hot twice already See so so that's awesome Yes, and that's a huge accomplishment and it's something that most people wouldn't even attempt because it's an intense process, right? It is it is okay now brah. Yes, sir What is so ergo is not your last name? It's definitely not but it's definitely changed my life my world who I am as a person I've never had dreams of being a hairdresser music was my passion. That's what I did day in and day out Okay, and I had to work side jobs to make ends meet and so I ended up working at Nordstrom's some years back and One day this gentleman comes in during the holidays with his beautiful wife. I Introduced myself as Brock and the gentleman introduces himself as Robert and his wife Marlene So we continue to talk and I continue to help him out About 15 minutes of helping him out the gentleman or the wife grabs my arm and goes. Oh my gosh I love your tattoos. You'd make a great arm model for us. I'm like our model. What are you talking about? That was probably the last thing you thought I'd never thought of that arm I didn't know that was a actual job, but she goes we own a professional styling tool company and For some of our campaigns. We like to have people tattoos holding our tools. I was like, oh awesome so I continue to help them out and by the end of Setting him up and everything like that the gentleman hands me his business card and goes give me a call after the holidays I'd like to tell you a little bit about our industry. I was like, okay, cool so the holidays came and went and I had about 15 20 different business cards from all different walks of life I broke it down to about a few of them one of them happened to be Robert Reed of Ergo I still have that business card on my mantle to this day. Nice. So I pick up the phone I give him a call and I go. Hey Robert. This is Brock. He completely remembered me this man remembers everyone's name It's insane. He's like freaking Yoda And so we start talking and he tells me his background in the industry and everything like that and he goes in two weeks There's the Long Beach ice show and I was like, what's that? It's a hair show I'd never heard of a hair show at that time. He goes come down. Check it out. I was like, I fantastic I was in my early 20s and I Remember this vividly I was driving down there and I was super nervous inside I had no idea if he was gonna kidnap me if it was a hair show I know what I was getting in zone four and So I finally get here parked downstairs like we're all the way to go and I go get my pass and I go down those escalators And I remember taking one step inside of here and it was just madness hair going everywhere beautiful women people all Ted up. I'd never seen a world like this in my entire life I probably was standing there with my mouth down the floor drill coming at it because I was in such shock and That split second I knew I wanted to be in this industry a week later I signed up for beauty school and the rest has been history and It's I'm going on probably a year and a half now ever since I've finished beauty school. Oh, really? Yeah I'm still super nervous This Long Beach show was the very first. I'm an educator them for them now Yeah, but this was the first time that I got to teach you an actual class at this show So it's a super humbling experience for me personally being at this show this year Yeah, so so this is the show that a little over two years probably yeah, it was like three years ago years ago Yeah, you came to you were not even a hairdresser. Yeah, no, and now you're teaching. Yeah, it's awesome It is and that's what that's what I love about Robert Reed is that he just like he was like he was one of the people from the very beginning that I Got connected to without reaching out to him. Yes, which isn't how a lot of companies go I mean when you start something new it was like, you know We had a we had a couple thousand followers and I was like, you know what? I'm gonna start reaching out to these companies hoping to get free stuff and nobody will give you anything You know but Robert Reed reached out to me and he just saw something different and right away He was like I'm gonna send you these brushes and you know what we're gonna have an hour-long phone conversation every week And just talk about the industry and that's what happened We did it for probably five weeks straight him just calling me and talking so you know it goes to show This brush we use it in our salon. It's Something completely unique Any other brush that you're gonna use so tell me tell me about the tool and what what makes it different? Maybe we can even take one out. Yeah, absolutely. Let's let's do that. Yeah, you might have grabbed this one right here Yeah, whatever we talked about these on the podcast So if you guys haven't been able to check them out the ergo brushes are phenomenal and They're gonna tell you why because there's so many little details to go into this brush So Fantastic, it's definitely correct. What is special about this brush that is so different than any brush out there on the market? One of the first things that I do like to share is the length It's actually 20% longer than most brushes out there And what that allows us to do as artists is take larger sections do faster blow dries less wrist rotations less fatigue I mean, let's be serious blow drying in this industry blow drying in our industry is one of the most fatiguing aspects Of it. That's the reason for carpal tunnel or back problems all of those issues that you know Correlate to what we do. So anything that can help us is definite plus Another cool thing that I do like to share with people is that it's a silicone grip handle And I know when you grab it yourself, right? It doesn't matter if you have product or anything on your hands You're gonna get that same grip and tension as you would if your hands were completely dry We recess the top and the bottom because a lot of times here tends to snag in areas like this And like this so we wanted to eliminate a cap. So here it doesn't get up inside of it I know what's happened to all of us with different brushes that you use And one of the last things that I'd like to share is the magic that is inside these bristles It's Turmaline. It's a mineral and it emits a negative ionic charge. Your hair puts off a positive charge Think of your cuticle being open for his static electricity Mixed with heat and tension it closes that cuticle Tider expels the water faster the more that the Sun can come down on it the shinier and beautiful the hair will be right So there's so many fantastic things. I think the the actual what the bristle is made of it you kind of touched on it, but like That's what really makes it special. I mean it is it's the negative ion charge, right? Yes Hair is positively charged. So yes, but but what is the what is that mineral? It's Turmaline. Turmaline is a mineral that they mine in some Asian cultures And it's actually a nylon bristle that is infused with the Turmaline. It's not coated a lot of times with bristles They tend to be coated so after a few blow dries They start to wear off and Turmaline has passed around a lot in our industry We've heard it a lot and not a lot of people truly understand what it is Right and in our classes in the art of the blow jet classes that Cantrell and I share all across this country We do everything from breaking down this brush and actually getting the techniques and things like that But that's the magic that lives inside these bristles Yeah, and you you'll find like when you have this brush in the salon you'll feel the bristles They're very hard. They are but then as soon as you hit them with heat Absolutely, they're nice and soft and you're gonna say something Yeah, one of the things that makes them really hard when we first had our first edition of the Ergo brush is a lot of people we got a lot of feedback about the brush is saying that the bristles were actually burning and Curling up so what we did was with this new version a few years ago We put carbon in the bristles So that carbon allows the bristles to stay strong and sturdy But it also gives them that hard feel when they're cold right as soon as you heat it in three four five seconds It softens up immediately. Yep So and you so let's talk right before we get into the hair house stuff What um with Ergo, where do you get classes? Where can they see you? Absolutely, so we stay very active on social media everything from Ergo style ask Ergo styling tools at Ergo styling tools on Instagram Facebook comm slash Ergo research Inc. And then you can also go on ask ergo comm and Get classes check information Look up anything that's going on anything that's pertaining to Ergo itself Okay, and so here's a question for both of you. We'll start with Cantrell. What is what would you say right now? Is like your biggest inspiration? my biggest inspiration is Watching other independent education Watching salons watching groups of hairstylists put together their own independent education I think that's really really exciting right now and and just and it's very organic Yeah, so that that's been inspiring. Okay. Cool. What about you? Yeah, I'd have to agree with him But also the people that surround us right now the energy that is filling this room It's that passion and dedication that lives with inside all of these hairdressers that pulled me into this industry Right, so that's where I get my biggest inspiration right on right on so you said you played music absolutely So do you still play music? I do not as much as To it definitely does for me personally I kind of had to pick one or the other yeah And I had more success in six months of hairdressing than I did in ten years of doing music So well I grew up so I grew up playing music and when I first started in beauty school The reason I chose beauty school was because not because I loved hair I didn't really know much I liked coloring my own and messing it up But I felt like I could be myself I could dress the way that I wanted to and I could still play music Well, you realize very quickly when you get immersed in this industry that you know, you don't play music as much Absolutely, but you're still able to be yourself. Yeah, that's kind of the best yeah And you get to express yourself in a different way. So what what do you like to do outside of doing hair? outside of doing hair I See, you know you're an addict when you have to think about that I do other than hair I like to dance If the other thing that you like dancing I will beat box if you dance no, maybe tonight My family's from Puerto Rico, so There's always been a lot of dancing in the house So I think that definitely stuck with me. It's in my roots. So that I like to do. Yeah, that's cool So, okay, so let's talk about the hair house real quick. Yeah, this this is exciting. This is my baby Yes, so tell me tell me the story. I've heard a little bit But what is it? How did it start the hair house the hair house? So the hair house started when Wesley Palmer West does hair on Instagram He lives in Texas. He came out to amazing amazing hairstylist came out to California to just start a new career to give it a new go and Chat Clark actually linked this up. He said hey West. I have this guy named Cantrell I think you all should link up and move in together. So we were down I was looking to move at that time. So we two stranger hairstylist just Strangers Moved into each uh moved into a house in West Hollywood and we're both hairstylist So we said hey, let's let's make this into a salon. So we turned our living room We got at our living room out and we put two stations in the salon and in the house in the living room And we just started taking clients and it was just it was fun It was at the beginning. It was just like a salon We literally took our clients and and just so you have a salon in your house But it's literally your living room So you do hair Yes, then you go to bed Okay, it's awesome because when you it's not a consistent thing, you know as far as the clients But when you have that call I do I get a lot of people ready for different events and stuff So sometimes the call time is crazy early. Yeah, and at this time I lived in West Hollywood So there's a lot of studios out there and a lot of red carpets and stuff Sometimes when the call time is early, I'm like, yeah come to my house at seven o'clock in the morning Nice, and I could I literally just wake up put on some nice clothes, do the client It sounds like an ideal situation we have to get you millennium software so you can run that in your that can be hooked up to your television There so so um, so let's talk about So the hair house you started that's salon in your house What else did it evolve to and then and then at about halfway through a few months down the line West Palmer decided to move back down to Texas. So at this time I had an Empty room in the house. And so that's what I brought a station So that's when I brought in my best friend one of my best friends sugar skulls, okay And so he was he was looking to move as well. So I said, hey, you know, I have this spot the hair House is about to open up a station. So you might as well come and move with us. You were hiring. I was hiring basically So he came and moved in and from there we continued to do we continue to do the hair house as a salon But at that time I was kind of moving moving more so out of the salon industry and getting more strongly into the education as well As the editorial. Okay, so that's when I my station started to become really bare And I started to do more work on set and more work off of you know outside of a salon But Carlos sugar skulls just took it over as far as the salon and just doing clients and clients And I would literally come home from being on set all day And he'd be had the house packed with clients and people waiting on the couches and music going and people drinks happening So and then after that I know somebody's gonna ask this but it legally No comment Address of where he lives. This is all a good story. We're just putting on a good story. This is not I am not here right now Okay, so So so then are you doing education? Yes, it Eventually it started we it turned into basically almost like We started to say hey, let's just have classes here and We started to have classes and it ended up evolving into hair house Basically hair house education that whole that whole scene started where we started to create an environment where hairdressers can feel comfortable One year you're at my house. It's chill, you know, so it's the whole but you know just it's chill You're at my house. You're sitting on my couch. It's just a big deal So and then you know, I love the fact that it's open bar everyone gets to have a drink I have a drink. I'm drinking a little bit of wine. You know, everyone's drinking and it's a slightly gently drink Music in the background and we're just doing what we love Another amazing element of the hair house is that there's always amazing food I feel that that's a strong thing on for centuries bringing people together food Thanksgiving what is Thanksgiving when you gather around with people and you eat food? So I brought that element to it So you don't have a class and then you guys take it a half an hour break with pizza and then no Then you go back to learning after that No, there's this amazing chef that I've been working with for a long time now Her name is live and she's a big part of the hair house She comes and she she cooks a lot of the food at at her station at her at her studio And then she brings over and if she needs to finish off things So we hire a real chef that's professional and that she's just amazing range and food and she comes in and she explains it After she'll bring after when it's lunch time or lunch time because usually we have evening classes We have her explain the food and it's just a cool environment They get to see what they're eating everything's organic and like good and delicious and been marinating for three days And it's just an awesome experience. This is crazy like this is what the industry has started to become like How cool is it what you're doing and the fact that everyone in this room is over screaming for a free blow dryer when they could be At the hair house. They're this close to it. It's in LA, right? Yes. Yes, you have Anybody that is close to you. I think it's super cool what you're doing And I would rather talk to somebody like you than half the other people in this room because you're doing something different You're doing it. Well, both of you guys are awesome I think I think the biggest thing right now is we can get people to follow Anybody that follows us can follow you guys follow the hair house follow ergo How do they follow ergo's you can go on at ergo styling tools on Instagram and then Facebook Ergo researching right on and then how do we follow the hair house? You follow us at at hair house education That is our our Instagram You know what they should say something about the great food and they should say something about it's kind of like party house You know it's like it's a party flyer, you know, you see it and like what is that you look into it? I like the logo. I think it's cool. Thank you guys are doing awesome I'm super happy for all for both of you. I didn't get to meet you until today, so I'm really happy It's it's cool to meet people that are this young in the is industry doing something so different So I really appreciate you guys follow Brock follow Cantrell and Thank you so much to Millennium Systems International for letting us use their booth at ISSE Long Beach We'll see you guys at the next hair show and on the next video. Thanks. Thank you