7 Cutting, Coloring and Business Tips To Up Your Game Behind The Chair

When L’ANZA Healing Haircare asks you to spend three days in paradise with Global Creative Directors Ammon Carver, Leah Freeman and Matt Swinney…you pack your bags and you GO! That’s how BTC found themselves in gorgeous Montego Bay, Jamaica for the L’ANZA B.I.G. Event, and we grabbed every tip and trick from the team to build your business and your skills.

See Matty and four more cutting experts (plus balayage, texture experts and celeb styling!) in Dallas May 20! Tap HERE to grab those tickets ASAP before they sell out! 

B.I.G. stands for Believe, Inspire, Grow, a movement that L’ANZA holds close to their hearts. L’ANZA has always been synonymous with something that’s bigger than simply hair—the “healing” in the company name refers to healing the plane, healing the industry and healing each other! So our time in Montego Bay was not only educational, but also super inspirational. If you couldn’t be there, we’ve put together the best of what we learned!

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Nov 8, 2016 at 6:59am PST

1. Work hard at cultivating your creativity.
When Matt and L’ANZA Artistic Design Team member (and BTC #ONESHOT winner!) Mark Dolan opened the event, they did something really cool—served up inspiration and advice without the clichés. They invited us to think about the uncomfortable places we find ourselves, and be open to hurdles. “We all have that crazy stuff in our brain that says ‘don’t do that,’” Mark said. “But nurture yourself. It’s in the point of fear or rejection when the most creative things happen.” Mark added, “It’s not about the end result. It’s the creative process and how you felt during it.”

2. Get your fastest balayage.
Leah knows color. She works behind the chair at her own salon every day, and she loves to experiment. This is great for us, because her tried-and-true tips are SO useful! She showed us a quickie balayage technique using a L’ANZA VIBES sponge that will save you time behind the chair—check out the videos we pulled from our Insta Story!

3. Stay humble.
One of BTC’s besties, Mark Bustos, took the stage to share the story behind his #BeAwesomeToSomebody movement. Mark gives haircuts to homeless people on the streets of NYC every week (where he also gives $250 haircuts to New York’s elite). “Success is found at eye level,” Mark shared. “We always put success on this high pedestal. Then you get there and it’s like…what’s next? I found success when I stopped looking.”

Check out all the photos from LANZA’s B.I.G. Event!

4. Create a collection—even if you aren’t going to share it with anyone.
When Ammon gave us a lesson on crafting a collection, we were all ears—he’s been nominated for NAHA Editorial Stylist of the Year five times and his NYC salon has a photography studio in it. He creates beautiful collections, but made a great point. “I shoot photos to see how I’ve grown,” he said. “It’s a way to benchmark yourself. People are afraid to do this, but push away those fears and let yourself be vulnerable enough to try. You don’t even have to show it—it will just be an eye-opening experience.” A quickie way to create a cohesive look? Ammon used strips of studs woven into braids or simply taped to models’ heads to elevate simple styles and tie them all together.

Don’t be afraid to customize your brushes!

6. If you want to work backstage, here’s how to do it.
Matt and Ammon frequently work backstage at New York Fashion Week, and they shared their best tips for getting into that side of the industry if you so desire. “The No. 1 way to make sure you’re remembered and asked back to work Fashion Week is to be the calm in the storm,” Ammon shared. Translation? “Stay out of the way, follow directions and keep your vision clean and pure,” Matt added. Hairdressers are at Fashion Week to support the designer and the clothes—so if you maintain a level head and keep that goal in mind, you’ll thrive. And if you are interested in working backstage? “Reach out to us!” Ammon said. “We’ll try our best to get you on our team!”

A kitchen sponge does more than clean your dishes.

7. Unconventional ideas can boost your color business.
Watch this video for three quick ideas from Leah and L’ANZA Advanced Healing Artist Bryan Campbell!