MEET THE FOUNDER

HAIR POP WAS FOUNDED BY SHANNON, HAIRSTYLIST, EDUCATOR, AND OWNER OF MOLECULE SALON IN CHICAGO

AFTER YEARS BEHIND THE CHAIR AND IN EDUCATION, I FOUND MYSELF ASKING THE SAME QUESTION: WHY DOES LEARNING SO OFTEN FEEL DISTANT FROM THE WORK WE ACTUALLY DO EVERY DAY?

SOME OF THE MOST VALUABLE CONVERSATIONS I’VE HAD WITH OTHER STYLISTS DIDN’T HAPPEN ON A STAGE, THEY HAPPENED STANDING BESIDES SOMEONE, ASKING QUESTIONS, SHARING IDEAS, AND WATCHING TECHNIQUES UNFOLD UPCLOSE.

WHY I STARTED
HAIR POP

HAIR POP WAS BUILT TO CREATE A DIFFERENT KIND OF EDUCATION. ONE WHERE CURIOUSITY IS ENCOURAGED, QUESTIONS ARE WELCOMED, AND INDEPENDENT ARTISTS CAN SHARE THEIR WORK WITHOUT NEEDING A MASSIVE PLATFORM BEHIND THEM.

I BELIEVE GREAT EDUCATION SHOULD FEEL APPROACHABLE. IT SHOULD LEAVE PEOPLE INSPIRED, CONNECTED, AND EXCITED TO GET BACK BEHIND THE CHAIR.

AS AN EDUCATOR

I’VE SPENT YEARS BEHIND THE CHAIR, BUT EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN JUST AS IMPORTANT TO ME AS THE WORK ITSELF. THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I’VE TAUGHT CLASSES, SHARED TECHNIQUES, AND MENTORED STYLISTS BARBERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. THOSE EXPERIENCES TAUGHT ME THAT THE MOST MEANINGFUL EDUCATION ISN’T ABOUT HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS; IT’S ABOUT CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE ASKING QUESTIONS.

MY OWN WORK HAS LARGELY CENTERED AROUND CREATIVE COLOR AND FOUNDATIONAL HAIRCUTTING, BUT THE PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE MY TEACHING EXTEND BEYOND ANY ONE SPECIALTY. STRONG FUNDAMENTALS, THOUGHTFUL TECHNIQUE, AND UNDERSTANDING THE “WHY” BEHIND THE WORK ARE WHAT MAKE EDUCATION VALUABLE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU’RE LEARNING COLOR, CUTTING, STYLING, OR BUSINESS.

I’VE NEVER BELIEVED THE BEST EDUCATOR IS THE LOUDEST PERSON IN THE ROOM. THE BEST EDUCATORS MAKE COMPLEX IDEAS APPROACHABLE, ENCOURAGE CURIOSITY, AND LEAVE PEOPLE FEELING MORE CONFIDENT THAN WHEN THEY ARRIVED.

THAT’S THE KIND OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE I WANTED HAIR POP TO CREATE.

TEACHING PHILOSPHY

I BELIEVE GREAT EDUCATION SHOULD:
BUILD CONFIDENCE NOT INTIMIDATION,
FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING RATHER THAN MEMORIZATION,
ENCOURAGE QUESTIONS AT EVERY LEVEL,
VALUE TECHNIQUE OVER TRENDS,
LEAVE ROOM FOR DIFFERENT CREATIVE APPROACHES,
CREATE SPACE AND UNDERSTANDING FOR ALL LEARNING STYLES,
BE AS HUMAN AS IT IS EDUCATIONAL

HAIR POP WAS BUILT AROUND THOSE SAME PRINCIPLES

LOOKING AHEAD

HAIR POP IS JUST GETTING STARTED. MY HOPE IS THAT IT CONTINUES TO GROW INTO A PLATFORM WHERE INDEPENDENT EDUCATORS CAN SHARE THEIR WORK, STYLISTS AND BARBERS CAN KEEP LEARNING, AND OUR INDUSTRY FEELS A LITTLE MORE CONNECTED BECAUSE OF IT.

HAIR POP ISN’T ABOUT BUILDING A STAGE FOR ONE EDUCATOR. IT’S ABOUT BUILDING A PLATFORM WHERE EVERYONE CAN BE SEEN.

QUICK FACTS

  • CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

  • MOLECULE SALON AND HAIR POP

  • INDEPENDENT EDUCATION, GROWING THE INDUSTRY IN POSITIVE WAYS, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STYLISTS AND BARBERS BESIDES THE CHAIR, COMMUNITY, CREATIVE COLOR, HAIRCUTTING, COSMETOLOGY STUDENTS, AND THOUGHTFUL TECHNIQUE BASED EDUCATION

  • INSTAGRAM:

    @SHANNONBUCAROHAIR

    MOLECULE SALON INSTAGRAM:

    @MOLECULESALONCHICAGO

  • SHANNON@MOLECULESALON.COM

FINAL THOUGHTS

I STILL CONSIDER MYSELF A STUDENT OF THIS INDUSTRY. HAIR POP ISN’T THE FINAL DESTINATION I WAS WORKING TOWARD; IT’S ANOTHER STEP IN CREATING THE KIND OF EDUCATION I ALWAYS HOPED EXISTED. IF YOU’VE ATTENDED AN EVENT, TAUGHT A CLASS, ASKED A QUESTION, OR SIMPLY SHOWN UP OPEN MINDED WITH CURIOSITY, YOU’VE ALREADY HELPED SHAPE WHAT HAIR POP IS BECOMING.

-SHANNON