My Stories – Early hair cutting lessons learned

by Ivan Zoot/The Clipper Guy on Monday, September 13th, 2010

Ivan Zoot is the director of education and customer engagement for the Andis Company and the founder of Zoot! Hair professional hair care products. Ivan identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis’ team of professional beauty industry educators. Ivan continues to be a featured presenter at industry shows and events, sharing his unique blend of information, education and enthusiasm for clipper cutting and the entire professional beauty industry. Ivan’s background includes experiences ranging from salon ownership to achieving 3 Guinness World Haircutting records.

I have asked you to share your stories. I will start off with one of mine.

I had been in hair school for just a short time. I had been begging my wife to let me cut her hair. Finally, she agreed. She figured she would not be able to say no forever. After all, we were married.

No one told me hair stretches when it is wet. No one told one fine hair stretches a LOT. My wife has a large forehead. My wife has always worn bangs. My wife is rather particular about her bangs. My wife likes her bangs right at her eyebrows.

I was determined to cut her bangs perfectly. She would trust me after that and let me try all kinds of services. I grabbed her bangs. I pulled them tight. I held them right at the eyebrow. I carefully cut them to the EXACT length of her brows. Wow! Hair stretches when it is wet. Fine hair stretches a LOT! Those bangs shrunk up to stubby little sprigs barely halfway down her forehead.

Here are my top 5 lessons learned form this experience.

1. Hair stretches when it is wet.

2. Fine hair stretches a LOT.

3. Just because you have been in cosmetology school for 3 weeks does not mean you know much.

4. There is always more to learn. Some of it has long ago been forgotten by teachers and veterans. They might leave out a few things out… and not on purpose.

5. My wife loves me a lot.

Tell us what you learned and how you learned it. And while you are at it please remind us of a few things we might have forgot or someone might have forgot to tell us. My wife will appreciate it.

Happy cutting.

Top 5 Tips for Condensed Cutting Curly Clients

by Ivan Zoot/The Clipper Guy on Monday, August 30th, 2010

Ivan Zoot is the director of education and customer engagement for the Andis Company and the founder of Zoot! Hair professional hair care products. Ivan identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis’ team of professional beauty industry educators. Ivan continues to be a featured presenter at industry shows and events, sharing his unique blend of information, education and enthusiasm for clipper cutting and the entire professional beauty industry. Ivan’s background includes experiences ranging from salon ownership to achieving 3 Guinness World Haircutting records.

We have explored how curly hair is different from a cutting perspective. This time, let’s look at one of my favorite curly cutting techniques. Condensed cutting has benefits for all hair types. It works great on curly hair. Your clients will love it and you will, too.

Traditional hair cutting relies on small sections and precision distribution of hair. Condensed cutting is a technique where multiple sections are gathered together, condensed, and cut as one. This creates movement and texture vastly different form traditional sectioning and cutting.

Here are my top 5 tips on why condensed cutting is ideal for curly clients.

1. Movement: Condensing sections creates increases and decreases in hair length across the curve of the head. These changes in length create movement in the hair design. This is great for curly hair.

2. Texture: Curly texture is best maximized when we do not section, distribute and cut with tension and precision. Hair behaves more naturally. Natural texture is played for all it is worth.

3. Timing: Condensed cutting reduces the time needed to cut. Turn your chair and turn up your profits.

4. Tools: Take your pick. Clippers, scissors and razors all bring interesting added dimension to condensed cuts. Try all your tools and experience the differing results.

5. Sales: When you bring new ideas and techniques to your chair, you bring energy and excitement. Our industry thrives on selling the new and the hot. Position this and other techniques to differentiate yourself and your craft. Clients will flock to your chair.

Try some condensed cutting this week and share your experiences. I look forward to learning of your successes.

Happy cutting.

Clipper Guy Says . . .Nice To Meet You!

by Ivan Zoot/The Clipper Guy on Monday, March 15th, 2010

Ivan Zoot is the director of education and customer engagement for the Andis Company and the founder of Zoot! Hair professional hair care products. Ivan identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis’ team of professional beauty industry educators. Ivan continues to be a featured presenter at industry shows and events, sharing his unique blend of information, education and enthusiasm for clipper cutting and the entire professional beauty industry. Ivan’s background includes experiences ranging from salon ownership to achieving 3 Guinness World Haircutting records.

You put a lot of time, effort and energy into keeping up on your skills and education as a stylist. You try to be well-versed in the care of any and every type of hair. The prospect of cutting heavily textured and naturally curly hair stops you cold. There are way too many chances for this to go wrong. It can take forever for a curly client to recover from a bad haircut. Then again, maybe you are the queen (or king) of naturally curly hair care and cutting in your shop. Being a leader and staying at the front of the pack requires continuous effort and reinvestment in your craft.

It is nice to meet you. Welcome to my new blog here at CurlStylist.com.

I am Ivan Zoot, a licensed cosmetologist, barber and salon industry educator. I have cut a lot of hair. My salon in the Chicago suburbs does more 300 haircuts every day. I do not cut celebrity clients. I cut hair for real people who want celebrity style and glamour but do not have teams of professionals in the bathroom every morning as if life was a photo shoot or a movie premiere.

Let’s talk about cutting curly hair cuts. Let’s discuss taking control of this large, passionate and profitable market. I have looked online. I could not find a web site called naturallystraight.com. There is an opportunity and a reason we gather here.

I like to break things down and focus on individual elements of a challenge. Here are my Top Five Tips to overcome the fear of curly cutting.

1. Get over it True success as a commercial stylist can only come when you can stand at your chair, look to the door and know that whoever and whatever walks in, you can deliver a service and take their money. No exceptions. If there is a service you cannot perform or a type of client you fear, get over it. Period. Salon diversity and multi-culturalism is a salon reality.
2. Get skills Once you have identified a skills “opportunity” like curly cutting, get the education you need. Take a class. Attend a seminar. Watch a video. Buy a book. Our industry prides itself on the wealth of education and information available.
3. Get practice This is how you got started in our business. You are never too old or too experienced to offer services for FREE to learn and master a skill.
4. Get the word out Promote. Promote. Promote. Once you have committed to expand the volume of services you do in curly cutting you need to let the world know. The clients will flock to you if the skills, the value and the enthusiasm are in place.
5. Get busy Get busy curly cutting with passion. If you have spent a few minuets cruising NaturallyCurly.com or CurlStylist.com, you are well aware of the energy and enthusiasm this is segment is brimming with. By positioning yourself as an expert here you will be very busy being busy in no time.

I look forward to getting to know you and your curly cutting challenges, hopes and dreams. This blog is intended to serve as a forum for ideas, concerns and discussions specifically centered around curly hair cutting. Keep the cards and letters coming.

Ivan