BUILDING THE ROOM WE WANTED

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF HAIR EDUCATION.

THERE ARE STAGES. BALLROOMS. BRAND TOURS. WEEKEND CLASSES. ONLINE COURSES. MORE TECHNIQUES THAN ANY OF US COULD EVER LEARN.

HAIR POP WASN'T CREATED BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY NEEDED ANOTHER EVENT.

IT WAS CREATED BECAUSE I KEPT WONDERING WHAT EDUCATION COULD FEEL LIKE IF IT LOOKED A LITTLE MORE LIKE THE BEST PARTS OF BEING BEHIND THE CHAIR.

SOME OF THE MOST VALUABLE THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN THIS INDUSTRY DIDN’T HAPPEN UNDER SPOTLIGHTS OR THROUGH A PERFECTLY REHEARSED PRESENTATION. THEY HAPPENED STANDING BESIDES ANOTHER STYLIST. WATCHING THEIR HANDS. ASKING ONE MORE QUESTION. TALKING THROUGH WHY THEY MADE A DECISION. SHARING IDEAS WITHOUT WORRY ABOUT WHO KNEW MORE.

THAT FEELING IS WHAT I WANTED TO BUILD.

I WANTED A ROOM WHERE ARTISTS COULD TEACH IN THEIR OWN VOICE, NOT BECAUSE THEY HAD THE BIGGEST FOLLOWING OR THE LOUDEST MICROPHONE, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAD SOMETHING THOUGHTFUL TO SHARE. I WANTED EDUCATION THAT VALUED FUNDAMENTALS OVER FLASH. THAT WELCOMED QUESTIONS INSTEAD OF MAKING PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER. THAT RECOGNIZED EVERY PERSON LEARNS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, AND THATS SOMETHING TO DESIGN FOR; NOT AROUND.

MOST OF ALL, I WANTED A ROOM THAT FELT HUMAN.

ONE WHERE ATTENDEES DIDN’T FEEL LIKE SPECTATORS.

ONE WHERE EDUCATORS FELT SUPPORTED, NOT SIMPLY BOOKED.

ONE WHERE CONVERSATIONS CARRIED ON LONG AFTER THE DEMONSTRATION ENDED.

THAT’S WHAT HAIR POP IS.

INDEPENDENT HAIR EDUCATION.

NOT BECAUSE INDEPENDENCE IS TRENDY, BUT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK SHOULD HAVE MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE IT ON THEIR OWN TERMS. THERE ARE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS BEHIND THE CHAIR EVER DAY WHO HAVE SOMETHING WORTH TEACHING. SOMETIMES WHAT THEY NEED ISN’T ANOTHER INVITATION, THEY NEED A PLATFORM BUILT TO SUPPORT THEM.

HAIR POP IS MY WAY OF HELPING BUILD THAT PLATFORM.

IT ISN’T ABOUT REPLACING WHAT’S ALREADY OUT THERE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF GREAT EDUCATORS AND ORGANIZATIONS DOING IMPORTANT WORK. THIS IS SIMPLY ANOTHER LANE, ONE BUILD AROUND CURIOUSITY, ACCESSIBILITY, THOUGHTFULNESS, AND GENIUNE CONNECTION.

IF YOU’VE ATTENDED A HAIR POP EVENT, SHOWCASED YOUR WORK, ASKED A QUESTION, VOLUNTEERED YOUR TIME, OR SIMPLY BELIEVED IN THE IDEA FROM THE BEGINNING, THANK YOU.

YOU’VE ALREADY HELPED SHAPE WHAT THIS BECOMES.

WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED.

-SHANNON