EVO HAVE THEIR OWN FIGHT CLUB

As always it was an epic journey of skill and storytelling with the evo crew at Fight Club: Jules Tognini, Nicole Kae, Tom White and Lauren McCowan each teaming up in an epic battle format (and ultimate gallery display of new vivid colour profile, STAINO by evo Fab Pro).

Lauren McCowan delivered her usual formidable fro work, building an everyday head into new heights from mannequin hair (cue: STAINO Cobalt Blue, Lime Green and Ultra Marine). “STAINO leaves hair conditioned and allows you to work with no fear. Particularly with afro hair, you have to feed curly hair with products that actually penetrate the hair shaft,” advised Lauren.

Jules crafted brilliance on a pre-coloured model whose roots moved from muted lavender to pre-loved apricot, a super-cool (super-Jules) shaggy mullet style with a soft wave and graduated, heavier texture through the sides … “it’s important to add something ‘a bit shit’ to a haircut,” he said on stage. We’re not sure what the ‘bit shit’ element was, but OK.

Tom delivered a technical short style bursting with STAINO Flame red while Nicole twisted and teased an up-style with top-flying texture and low-slung plait work. And the winners of this all-time live battle? Tom White and Lauren McCowan. Nice one.

THERE'S A NEW (AND POWERFUL) HAIR DRYER IN TOWN

Yes, you heard correct. Taking to the Hair Expo trade floor, the innovators at GlamPalm debuted an all new wonder tool… one that’s slick, ergonomically sound and oh so powerful. Did we mention it’s practically feather light?

The brand’s most powerful (and quietest) hairdryer yet, the aptly named AirTouch boasts a state of the art V12 G7 jet motor and a windspeed of up to 135km/hr. Translation: less energy consumption, faster drying capability and more power than Superman on a bad day.

Speaking of supermen… “I had the privilege of road-testing it at Hair Expo and I can tell you its truly revolutionary,” said GlamPalm Creative Director Kobi Bokshish.

“The AirTouch is the lightest and most powerful hairdryer in Australia (it only weighs 386 grams) so it’s a real game-changer. As a hairdresser, I use a dryer for just about every look and to have something that’s so light – especially when you’re styling clients back to back in salon – makes life so much easier.”

“It’s also incredibly fast,” he continued. “The windspeed is 135km/h which drastically decreases drying time. It’s comfortable in the hand and the buttons are sleek and soft to touch – it reminds me of those cool old school hairdryers, but faster, lighter and so much easier to use!” Get yours this August.

CONTENT IS MORE TRUSTWORTHY THAN ADVERTISING

Times they are a changing and in our current digital and social climate, content is now more vital than ever. Attesting to the power of (successful) content creation and dispersion, digital expert Claire Deane shared not one, but multiple key tips for harnessing the cybersphere’s most readily accessible assets.

Tip One: Create content that will help your clients understand who you are. No longer are such platforms as instagram mere tools for the dissemination of weekend snaps and mementos. They’re now a lucrative sales component and a vital part of any brand’s ecosystem. As such, it’s vital your channels reflect your brand, not only aesthetically, but culturally too.

Tip Two: Content is a long term strategy, not a quick fix. “It’s not just about creating something that goes viral – this kind of thing doesn’t tend to happen in every day life.” says Claire. “It takes time for content to really start working its magic, particularly when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation.”

“By creating content that’s relevant, up to date and credible, you’re contributing to the answering of people’s questions,”. In point: the more you create, the more you’re likely to show up in searches. This not only improves your search engine rank (thereby directing more traffic to your website and assorted channels) but grows your business reach exponentially.

Tip Three: Content is more trustworthy than advertising. Unlike traditional advertisements, which tends to require adherence to stringent guidelines, content allows for more creative freedom. Another drawcard? It’s also said to be three times more engaging, trustworthy and valuable than that of a traditional advertisement. Use it wisely.

HAIRDRESSERS CHANGE LIVES

There’s no denying the pertinence of a thorough consultation. Heck it’s ONE element that can make or break your service… before you’ve even started. At her ‘Consultation Champion’ seminar, leading educator Bernadette Beswick guided expo-goers through the ins-and-outs of the consultation and beyond… sharing but a few of her time-honed secrets for client retention and retail success.

“As hairdressers we have the ability to change the lives of others; not only with our creativity, but the services we offer,” said Bernadette. “It’s important we identify (and cultivate) the elements that make us stand out as hairdressers, so as to become exceptional [in the eyes of our clients]. Note this: ordinary will never make you any profit.”

Introducing attendees to her self devised ‘moment map’, a practical paradigm for salon success, Bernadette touched on the importance of creating an exceptional welcome experience, building and maintaining rapport and the importance of rebooking and retail recommendations, guiding attendees through the key steps constituting a successful client journey.

“It’s important we strive for excellence in all technical aspects,” continued Bernadette. Of equal importance? “Our interpersonal skills: the ways in which we connect and communicate with our clients.” A final factor? “Our sales skills: what are you selling, how much are you selling and where are you selling?. It’s vital that all three elements work together, and that you equip your team with this philosophy.”

An hour of power indeed.

EGO IS THE ENEMY

In case you hadn’t heard… everyone’s favourite mane addict Jen Atkin was in town for the occasion, taking to the expo stage for an exclusive Masterclass with Dyson.

Dubbed the ‘Most Influential Stylist’ on the planet by the New York Times, Jen is not only an uber successful entrepreneur, she’s also the woman between some of the most famous manes in Hollywood (from the Hadid sisters right through to the Kar-Jenners – take a scroll through her insta feed for the evidence) and as such, we’d hazard a guess she knows a thing or two about ego.

Sharing her trademark brand of witty candour, Jen offered a solid piece of life advice that’s informed her career to date.“One of my biggest tips: don’t make everything about you,” she said. “We’re in a service industry which means we’re here to take care of people.” Namely your clients.

Moreover, Jen reminded expo-goers that’s important not to take yourself too seriously… to step back, chill out and have fun along the way. “When the stakes are high, I always remind myself that it’s just hair; we’re not saving lives,” she continued.

“Even if something goes wrong, it’s okay… we’re all going to be okay. Many of us have the tendency to place huge amounts of pressure on ourselves, but it’s important to have fun in the process.” Can’t argue with that.

CLIENTS LOVE BEING A PART OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Dennis Langford hosted an expert panel of digital industry experts (Tom White, Mia Devries, Natalie Anne and Adam Ciaccia) at the AHC’s Meet the Industry Disruptors seminar, a rare insight into social (media) acumen and its relevance to revenue/business building today. “For me, I realized it wasn’t word of mouth anymore, it was word of Facebook, and pretty soon we had clients travelling to Wollongong from Sydney, Campbelltown and so on,” said Mia. The owner of Fox and the Hair takes in-salon content very seriously, and has worked a dedicated time into each client’s appointment. “It takes two minutes at the end of each appointment: Colour, process, tone, treat, cut, style and social media. I have allocated staff members to manage this social aspect for me, and it works!”

Who knew the effervescent Instagram hit Natalie Anne started her business in a garage? We didn’t! These days, Natalie Anne works four full-days on social media content and two on her bustling salon floor. “It’s so important to reinvest into my business. On those social days, I have influencers coming into the salon to generate content and it really creates a buzz in the salon … and the clients love it! Clients actually come in with a full face of makeup and want us to create content with them; they want to be a part of our journey, and it’s our job to make that happen whether it be via Snapchat, Instagram stories of IGTV.” Noted.