3,200 Stylists & Salon Business Owners Traveled For These Tips!

National Huddle 2023: Bring These 5 Pro Tips Back To Your Salon

From barbering to mental health and beyond, the 2023 Sport Clips National Huddle was an artistic gold mine for pros and students alike—with over 3,200 business owners and stylists in attendance. Whether you joined the huddle live from Fort Worth, Texas or from home, we compiled a list of essential takeaways from the pros to bring back to your salon.

1. 1 cut = 2 different styles (& retail opportunity). Here’s how! 

Did you know you can spice up your client’s go-to haircut (and bolster retail) just by introducing them to a simple styling routine? American Crew stylist Patrick Chai (@bypatrickchai) joined the huddle to showcase the styling power of American Crew Whip, the newest addition to the brand’s 10-puck roster, and how to achieve multi-style looks.

“Giving your clients an alternative way of styling can really broaden their thinking,” Patrick says. “It also gets them thinking about each product you used and if they’ll need them to recreate the look at home.”

Here’s how Patrick uses Whip to give his model’s cut a fresh new look:

1. Take a small amount of Whip in your palm and emulsify to loosen the formula.
2. Apply evenly to damp or dry hair with fingertips to create soft, pliable hold and separation.
3. Layer and style as needed until you reach the desired look.

Patrick creates a piecey, textured fringe inspired by K-Pop influences like the globally-loved boy band BTS:

Join the Huddle. Become a Sport Clips team member today.

2. Social media 101: Try these ideas for Instagram Reels.

If you’ve ever struggled with coming up with ideas for your social media, John Paul Mitchell Systems International Trainer Jason Reyes (@iliketocuthair) is here to inspire. 

Here are some of Jason’s go-to ideas for Instagram Reels:

1. Before and afters of your proudest work
2. How-tos of haircuts, styling, color and more
3. Your skills and specialities
4. New products
5. Product or sale opportunities

When Jason shoots Reels, he always has a shot list of what he wants to capture. From there, he strategizes to keep his audience’s attention. “For example, if I shoot [a product] at a normal speed, the application isn’t going to be as sexy,” he explains. “Capture elements that are smooth: The application, the product, the hands.”

Pro tip: Don’t be afraid of comments! “Unless it’s something extremely disrespectful—I love [when followers comment] because it makes the algorithm go crazy and I get more views,” Jason explains. “It’s an entertainment platform. Plus, sometimes negative comments are only there to bait you in and get your attention.”

Jason teaches social media strategy at the 2023 Sport Clips National Huddle:

3. How-to: Pompadour styling in & out of the chair.

If you remember, the pompadour made the men’s cover of BTC’s Trend Report. With clients lining up with inspo photos, follow these styling tips from SexyHair educator Evan Wooding (@hair_by_evan_at_hair_fitness) to nail the look each and every time—and to educate clients on recreating their pomp at home!

Here is Evan’s process:

1. Reach for SexyHair Blow It Up Volumizing Gel Foam. This transformative volumizer lift the roots for all-over body—just what pomps are looking for.
2. Dispense one pump of Blow It Up Volumizing Gel Foam into your hands. Less is more here; if you use too much, the hair could end up looking greasy. Allow to emulsify before applying.
3. Begin application at the back of the hair rather than the front to create volume and texture. Tease the hair forward from the back with your fingers, then shape as desired.

Pro tip: Introduce clients to specialized products throughout the service. To make the sale, Evan intentionally places product within the client’s line of vision throughout the entire appointment.

4. Struggling to blend out a skin line? Use these tips.

If your fade appointments are slowing down because you’re having trouble blending a skin line, don’t worry: BaBylissPRO® educators Rachel Romero (@barberologist_) and Gino Maggio (@ginothebarber818) have some advice.

Two tips for flawless skin line blends:

1. Instead of waiting until the end of the appointment to blend your skin lines, do it at the very beginning of the cut. This way, you don’t have to worry about your low fade turning into a medium or, at worst, high fade.
2. Rather than cutting soft skin lines with a trimmer, put in a hard line instead. Then, you can take multiple lines of demarcation out at the same time through precise blending.

5. Harness the power of change to fuel your growth.

When you’re feeling emotions of disengagement and difficulty behind the chair, it’s hard to recognize that as something BIG happening. But it is. Change Enthusiasm® Global CEO Cassandra Worthy (@cassandra_worthy_speaker) shares that seeing change as an opportunity rather than a burden is all in changing your mindset. 

Cassandra breaks tackling change down like this:

1. The signal: Change itself, and how it makes you feel
2. The opportunity: How this change can help you learn and evolve
3. The choice: The decision to move forward, to be bitter or better

Looking at change in this way helps us turn negative energy into strength and resilience—both in and out of the salon.

Cassandra brings the Change Enthusiasm® mindset to over 3,200 Sport Clips stylists and artists:

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