Simon May of Dapper Dan hair products has put in many hours of hard work in order to enjoy the success he has today with his brand, and over the years, he has learned some invaluable lessons he would like to share on product development in the barbering industry.

Simon takes up the story. “The hardest part of product development is knowing when to stop! Dapper Dan’s first offering ‘Matt Paste’ took me 10 years and five different cosmetic labs to perfect. But in reality, the time spent agonising over this exceptional product was as much to do with my own inexperience as it was the difficulty in creating such a unique styling product. 

“As the Matt paste was my first product, I wanted it to be everything to everyone. And although we achieved as close to this as humanly possible, as time went on and as the Dapper Dan styling range grew, it became easier to focus in on the unique attributes of each product. Tailoring each development to specific requirements, in order to build a balanced and effective range of grooming products for men. 

“Cosmetic product development is all about consistency! The process of development is long and difficult, with many obstacles and disappointments. This is why staying consistent with the brief and objectives from the start is paramount.” 

Simons top tips for product development.

1. Be confident! Remember that you are a professional in your field, and the chemist or company you commission to produce your products don’t have that same level of practical experience.

2. Trust your gut! If you’re talking to a potential cosmetic company about developing a bespoke range of products, Make sure you feel they are suitable from the start and are listening to your unique requirements.

3. Start Small! We all have two or three favourite products that we work with as barbers. Start by developing one or two of these first. You know these products best and you can keep costs down with development fees.

4. Be original! As the barber industry has grown over the past 10 years, so has the amount of men’s grooming brands along with it. Avoid market saturation by developing products and a brand that offers something new.

5. Have Fun! The road to completing a successful development and taking delivery of your first batch of products can be long and hard. I remember looking forward to the early Dapper Dan samples turning up like it was Christmas day. Then testing the products in my shop with my team and involving clients etc was all very exciting. 

Over the past 10 years, Dapper Dan’s global presence has grown exponentially. As has the range of Dapper Dan products.

“Considering we started with just one product, it’s crazy to look at how the brand and range of products has grown and evolved. This is mainly due to Dapper Dan being represented in so many markets around the world. Each one having slightly different hair types and cultural styles.'”

See dapperdanbrand.com

The 2022 ambassador’s program for Anti Broke Barbers has been announced. It is looking for 100 barbers that can help move the brand forward (and look good doing it, of course). 

You could be part of the team educating barbers on how to take their career, service and brand to that elite level. Giving insight on the business of barbering which will help anyone grow as a barber, stylist, business owner or student in one of the most profitable industries to be a part of. 

To apply, just fill in the online form here.  

Connecticut barber Peter Tsakiris of Peter’s Unisex Hairstyling in Hartford, has been cutting the hair of local residents for half a century and has reported that a thief stole $10,000 of clipper and razor equipment from his barbershop after a break-in. 

Peter said: “I always felt that I didn’t need an alarm or insurance, but it happens.” News of the incident spread thanks to Johnny Cruz, a local client who posted about it on TikTok. 

The buzz on social media caught the attention of Jay Majors who runs the Connecticut Barber Expo, who said: “Every barber started messaging me. Barbering is nostalgic, it is about history. These are our predecessors, so it hurt my feelings for someone to target someone like that.” Donations started coming into Jay from as far away as Cleveland Ohio, and the result was that Jay collected up thousands of dollars of new equipment and delivered it to Peter to choose from.  

Tsakiris was able to pick out clippers, disinfectant, aftershave and everything else he needed from the money that was donated.  

Tsakiris, who is a third-generation barber said that some of what was stolen was sentimental. “My father was a barber, and I had some clippers and razors that he has passed down.” To him they were priceless. 

Two days shy of his 80^th birthday and the barber has received the best birthday wish of all. “I couldn’t be any happier, I had no tools when I walked in this morning and now look around, I got everything I need and more.”  

Talent Beyond The Chair is back in full force at the Crown Ridge Banquet Hall, 6909 Camp Bullis Rd. San Antonio, Tx, this weekend, February 6^th, 2022. With crowds expected to exceed previous years, TBtC Phase 3 will bring barber, and stylist competitions and the annual My Bloody Valentine Makeup competition.  

Organiser Amber Marie Aguilar said: “Having a business can be hard to achieve and even more difficult to maintain. At TBtC Phase 3, we provide entrepreneurial courses, business management courses, as well as social media training to provide all the tools needed to succeed. This is far from the average expo. Talent Beyond the Chair provides vendors, live entertainment, network opportunities, and so much more.”

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She added: “The expo started out as a small idea in 2017, when I had my first show it was a flop but that didn’t stop me. I came back after networking, competing myself, learning how the barber world works, to make my next show amazing. After the pandemic, I realized how important it was to teach our industry how to survive during difficult times so I started my idea for the next expo. My goal for this show is to help the industry grow, learn from national educators such as Tyrik Jackson and John Mosley – two of the biggest names in the industry – as well and myself, because we have been through the struggle, the trial, the error, and we know what to teach to help you succeed. That’s what my show is about, elevating and building your brand, building your business, learn how to survive, not struggle. I want to inspire and have them watch a great barber competition along with our fantasy hair and makeup (My Bloody Valentines Theme) it’s a great mixture of fun, education, and friendly competition.” 

Talent Beyond the Chair Phase 3 is the third annual premiere Barber/Stylist event in South Texas, providing educational guidance partnered with the glamour of a competitor’s focus on showcasing the wonderful reality that is this industry. Talent Beyond the Chair Phase 3 provides outlets for the new entrepreneur to meet celebrity guest barbers, network with fellow business owners, and learn more about what it truly takes to run their business to maximum success. 

For tickets, click here.

Diesel Barbershop has partnered with Andis Company to provide direct offers to all Diesel Barbershop stylists and barbers on its professional line of barbering tools. This new national program will give Diesel employees access to some of the highest quality barbering tools on the market as they create classic and contemporary styles for its diverse customers. 
 
Providing this program to their team members, Diesel Barbershop leadership feels they are setting their staff up for success from day one. In an industry where precision can make the difference between a mediocre haircut and a great one, Diesel Barbershop wants to ensure that they provide the greatest service to their clients. This program will give all Diesel Barbershop barbers and stylists access to quality products at an affordable price, just for being part of the Diesel team.  

“For 100 years, Andis has been delivering superior quality and performance – our team members will now have that tool expertise in the palm of their hand as they create their very best work,” said Sarah Klingensmith, Director of Training and Operations for Diesel Barbershop. 

Diesel Barbershop is part barbershop, part salon, part old school record store, part mechanics garage, part tattoo shop, and part vintage arcade. A man-cave for great haircuts and an amazing overall haircut experience, if you will. It also is a successful franchise business with more than 20 locations across the USA. 
 

www.dieselbarbershop.com/ 
www.andis.com. 

Working in conjunction with some of the world’s foremost color experts, Goldwell is proud to introduce the 2022 Color of the Year:  BUBBLEGUM. The retro-futuristic pink shade playfully walks the line between vibrant, hot pink and classic pastels, harnessing a bevy of charming dualities that resonates with a diverse audience. 

“We can see that optimism will be a key trend for 2022 and BUBBLEGUM is the perfect emblem for it,” says Jane Boddy, Global Color Expert. “The underlying blue tone adds a freshness that is both progressive and balanced. It merges the playful heart with the clear head to create a color that is versatile but measured.” 

Gone are the days of pink being associated with feminine roots – it is now considered a color that has defined the times. The hue embodies a shift in attitude not only in fashion, beauty and lifestyle, but overall outlook, establishing a newfound level of respect.  

“This playful, inclusive color represents diversity, self-identity, fun and freedom, which is something our stylists couldn’t wait to start replicating in their color formulas,” says John Moroney, Global Creative Director Goldwell. “Striking the unique balance between flirtatious and wholesome, cool and warm, and soft and strong, the dynamic aspects of BUBBLEGUM will infuse the look with a head-turning dramatic effect like no other.” 

BUBBLEGUM Formula with Goldwell Colorance: 

40ml Colorance Core Lotion 
15ml Colorance Pastel Rose 
5ml Colorance Pastel Lavender  

A date not to be missed in the hair industry calendar! The 2022 America’s Beauty Show will be held April 9-11 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.  It is an in-person, immersive experience organized to provide a space for our industry to: Flourish, Unite, Network, and Navigate.  

The Big Brands are BACK! Dyson, Redken, Matrix, Olaplex, Pulp Riot, Mizani, Moroccanoil, Andia, Salon Centric, Ulta Beauty, Wahl, Wet Brush, Amika, Farouk, Biolage, Belvedere and MORE will be at ABS.  

See the latest in education, the hottest trends and the opportunity to see and try what’s new in the beauty industry. ABS 2022 offers an unprecedented lineup of education to feed your artistic soul. It’s the place where cosmetologists, colorists, nail pros and estheticians can focus on improving their craft and propelling their careers. Each year the “who’s who” and the “who’s NEW” of the industry come together for a 3-day weekend of hairdressing magic. It’s where you go to see what’s new, experience captivating beauty, be with your team and immerse yourself into the gold-standard of beauty with beauty. 

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Since 1912, Cosmetologists Chicago has been the organization whose sole purpose in producing the show is to serve the professional’s needs and move the industry forward through education funding, inspiration and good fellowship. CC Officers and the Board of Directors are all working salon professionals who lead the efforts in ensuring the success of ABS for attendees and exhibitors.  

• America’s Beauty Show is a non-profit event focused on serving licensed beauty professionals. It is owned by Cosmetologists Chicago, a non-profit association for the last 112 years. America’s Beauty Show is known for education, innovation, community, shopping, and fun! It is a treasure within the professional beauty industry and is evolving to be relevant for both attendees and brand partners.   

More information at americasbeautyshow.com.

Professional brush brand Denman is on the hunt for “high energy hair geeks” to partner with, and help spread the word about the companies legendary tools. The statewide search will run from the 10^th of January until the 21^st of March 2022 and is open to working hair professionals based in the USA.   

Denman are looking for busy stylists and colorists with a passion for sharing their work and creative process through social media channels.    

 How to enter 

• Follow @denmanpro on IG. 
• Tag @denmanpro in the work and content you are most proud of. 
• Tag @denmanpro in your entry Reel or Story. In your entry tell Denman why you would make a fantastic Denman Ambassador. Tell them in spoken word and /or captions what makes you tick in your career and the kind of hair you love to work with. Get as creative as you like to get your message across!  Alternatively you can email your short video (max 2 mins) to ambassador@denmanbrushus.com. If your file is too large to send as an attachment via email please use https://wetransfer.com/ to share it as a link. 
• ADD THE HASHTAGS #denmanambassador #denmanambassadorsearch to help Denman find your work.

Successful ambassadors will receive the following if selected. 

• A big box of Denman professional tools including brushes, combs and coloring tools plus regular drops of new and additional products through the year. 
• Access to online education. 

• Editorial and PR opportunities. 
• International PR exposure with the Five Point Alliance. 
• The opportunity to contribute to product development. 

For more details, go to: https://denmanbrushus.com/pages/ambassador-search 

Sport Clips Haircuts presented a record-breaking $1.55 million check recently to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) Foundation to provide scholarships for service members and veterans. As the nation’s leading provider of men’s and boys’ haircare, the veteran-founded company began work with the VFW in 2013 to offer Help A Hero Scholarships for returning military to prepare for civilian careers that often require additional college, graduate, and technical degrees and training. Since the creation of the program, Sport Clips has donated more than $10 million to the VFW’s “Help A Hero Scholarship” program. 

Also, the VFW and Sport Clips have announced that 146 student veterans will receive scholarships for the Spring 2022 semester, totalling nearly $650,000. This brings the number of scholarship recipients to 2,200 and makes the program one of the largest veteran support programs of its kind. 

“Helping ease the financial burden of going back to school is a very real way our Sport Clips team members, clients, and product partners say ‘thank you’ to those who serve in the military and their families,” says Gordon Logan, Air Force veteran, VFW Life member, and founder and chairman of Sport Clips. “It’s gratifying to see thousands of veterans… single moms, doctoral candidates, seminarians, technicians… going back to school with the help of these scholarships on their way to meaningful civilian careers.” 

“The VFW, along with the veterans, service members and military families we serve cannot express enough our appreciation to the entire Sport Clips team, network and partners for their generous support.” said VFW National Commander Fritz Mihelcic. “Their dedication to America’s student veterans is truly remarkable and serves to make a lifelong, positive impact in the lives of so many.” 

Some $122,000 of the donation this year was from Sport Clips’ own $2 per haircare service made by the company on Veterans Day while clients, individual supporters, and Sport Clips team members donated the most generous portion of money raised in stores and through virtual walks. Sport Clips partners Direct Beauty Express,  John Paul Mitchell Systems,  Nioxin,  Sexy Hair,  Gibs Grooming and Actiiv also made substantial contributions. 

Application period for fall 2022 Help A Hero Scholarships is open now through April 30 to receive up to $5,000 of assistance per semester, per family for service members and veterans in the rank of E-5 and below. To find out more, visit your local Sport Clips,  SportClips.com/hero or VFW.org/scholarship.

As any barber or beauty professional knows, at times you feel more like a therapist than a beauty therapist. Clients are often inclined to open up to their hairdresser or barber about their personal lives, hardships and struggles. This means beauty professionals are in a unique position to help identify sufferers of domestic violence, and in turn, assist the victims.  

This has led to an initiative encouraging barbers, hairstylists, and beauty professionals to become educated and aware of the signs of abuse, with education platforms that give them the tools to help their clients, and potentially save their lives.  

As of January 1^st, 2022, a new law has passed in the state of Tennessee—the homebase of this initiative, requiring all barbers and beauty professionals to undergo free training to help identify the signs of clients suffering from domestic abuse, and how to lead them to help.  

Signs of domestic violence can range from learning about concerning details about their homelife from stories or worries expressed, to physical symptoms, such as bruising or sudden or unusual hair loss.  

The law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, following a successful initiative first launched in 2017 by Nashville stylist — and survivor of abuse — Susanne Post. She worked with the YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, which runs the region’s largest women’s emergency shelter and has been engaged in anti-domestic violence education for more than four decades. 

Legislation to require the course came to a head thanks to state lawmakers, commerce agency officials and the state Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. 

“Tennessee’s beauty professionals are caring, compassionate individuals who are committed to ensuring the health and safety of all their customers, but may not know how to respond when confronted with domestic violence,” said board executive director Roxana Gumucio in a statement made on July 27, when the bill was passed. 

Back in 2017 Susanne Post co-founded an initiative started by the YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee, called Shear Haven. Now a proud partner with BARBICIDE, the company hosts training online for hair professionals to gain awareness, education, and tools for spotting and combatting domestic violence.  

Beyond Tennessee, the initiative to educate hair and beauty professionals about the signs of domestic abuse is spreading globally.  In the UK and Ireland, SalonEVO Columnist and Beauty Business Expert Liz McKeon is the ambassador for Shear Haven anti-domestic violence salon training, encouraging and spreading awareness and education of this helpful, and potentially lifesaving tool.  

The Shear Haven online training consists of a 20-minute online session followed by a short quiz. After completion, each participant will receive a personalised certificate of achievement.  

To date, more than 25,000 hair and beauty professionals from around the world have taken the training.  

Learn more about the Shear Haven training by visiting the YWCA website  and quiz on the Barbicide website.