50 tips for men's style and grooming

This was posted to FB by a Belmont Barber shop in Chicago. I like this list. You see lists like this all the time. I try to adhere to much of it. I can not say I make all the marks all of the time. I am still trying. There is a lot of good here to be learned and lived by so as to be an adult male of a reasonable level of style, culture and distinction. Link HERE. Which ones are you hitting? Which ones are you missing? Which ones do you NOT agree with? Which ones do you think should be printed in RED and BOLD? Must read of rall guys, all barber guys and all women who provide direction to the guys in their life... Isn't that ALL women?

Ink upgradeded

Adam at Slim's in Crystal Lake, IL got the pole added to an already nice Andis Master tattoo.
Nice support for hsi passion for the Andis brand.
Do not forget to plug it in!

I got slimmed

I was in the area for a school class and paid a visit to my buddy, Slim the Barber at Slim's shop in Crystal lake, IL
I got a great hair cut. I look taller, slimmer and a bit smarter. Thank you Slim. Great shop. @x as big as it was last time I visited. Adam commands the chair in back. barbering the way it should be. Worth the trip and the visit. tell Slim I sent you.

What it takes to be a barber - Next installment - Marketing

Cutting hair is not enough. Taking good care of the client in your chair is not enough.
There is a lot of competition today. There are a lot of barbers out there.
Today you need to be a solid marketeer to build a business. You need to have strong selling skills to get them in the chair... and strong selling skills to get them BACK in the chair.
marketing for a barber is about a lot of small things done well.
Here are just a few items to think about and ask yourself... am I doing that well?
Your business card... Is is complete? All information present? Zip code, too?
Do you have a logo?... And not the stock barber pole clip art from the business card printer.
Does the shop have a good, visible sign?
Is the shop super clean (this is marketing, too)?
There are so many, I could write a book.
That is right, I did right a book. :)
I will share more in an additional post.
mean time... What are YOU doing to market your barber business?
Please share with us so we all can raise the bar.

Stock up on hair cuts?

The pre-paid hair cut card from Great Clips. They announce a Great new idea. Buy haircuts in advance (you know you will need one) at a lower price. Debit them off of the card as you use them. They never expire, never go up in price. Good at nearly 3K salons in U.S.A.

Article here with full details

Client saves $. Salon locks in client loyalty. Love 'em or hate 'em it is a workable plan for the chain and the client. How can other salons learn from this offer? What can YOU offer to compete? Competition makes everyone better. I like it.

Losing another one...

Here is another of those stories of an old barber hanging up the clipper for the last time. I see these all the time. Every small town has an old barber... and eventually he gets to the end of the road. Like the others this old man has 50+ years in his shop behind that chair. Times change, classic barbering is just that. A few weeks back I visited a number fo shops in Chicago. it was nice to meet and speak with many young barbers, guys in their late 20's and early 30"s... Insures that there will be more of the "old barber retires" stories for many, many years to come. Enjoy reading this one. Link here.

Clipper Keeper DX2 review

I was recently provided a sample of the new Clipper Keeper DX2 to try out and offer up a review.
The case is well made and appears to be durable. It should stand up well to the rigors of daily use. Time will tell.

It is well appointed, compartments for combs and blades and a big area for up to 6 clippers.
The top hinges release so the cover can be removed when working. The removable foam pad keeps things from rocking and rolling when in transport, thought this costs some useable carrying space if you have it in.

I like the idea and the unit is well done. It is too small for me to use when traveling as I have to carry so much more stuff... remember I am not cutting clients , but demonstrating at a show. I am not so sure of how it will hold up through the airport... might be better for local transport than by air.

Oil and clipper spray overspray... not sure what these liquids will do to the unit over time, too. We shall see.

I do like the idea that when in a shop... and you go off to lunch you can lock down the lid and no one will mess w your stuff.

Stay tuned. As I use the Keeper I will share more feedback.

Go here to get your own clipper Keeper. LINK.

howtofadehair.com

I visited the salon and classroom/education center of Nieves Almaraz and howtofadehair.com this week. Nice, clean, contemporary shop with a great little classroom attached for up-close training.
A great example of a sharp business doing more than just cutting hair, sharing with the industry.
Nieves is working on volume #3 in his video series. Volumes 1 and 2 are out there for your benefit.
Have a look at his web site. LINK HERE. he can help you be a better clipper cutter.

More Andis Ink

1 guy = 2 arms = 1 clipper, 1 trimmer and 1 pretty serious andis fan.
I got these in the email last week. Pretty impressive!

Stylist Choice Awards

Time again to vote.
Link below is for the Stylist Choice Awards for 2012.
Click the link here and vote for me and for Andis!
Thank you for your support!

How could I miss this?

Yesterday, November 15th was International Mohawks day... I would have had any of a number of HUGE ways to celebrate this had I known. Poor marketing on their part. I am already planning for 2012.

The teens - The decade of guy hair in the salon industry

The 70's was the decade of Sassoon inspired cutting.
The 80"s was the decade of Perm.
The 90's was the decade of take-home hair care product.
The 00's was the decade of professional hair color.
The teens, the decade we are in NOW is the decade of men's hair cutting in pro beauty - The decade of Guys - The decade of clipper cutting, The decade of hair gel and pommade and wax and styling paste.
This is the decade in which if you are to be a player in the game you MUST be game-on when it comes to the guy game... and Andis will lead the pack.

The NEW Andis Evny clipper is to be a big piece of this success for you and for us. have you seen it yet? have you tried it yet?

More Andis artwork

2 new tattoos on 1 soon to be new barber. Gerald Flowers - Student at Success barber school in Chicago sporting a master and a T-out!
Andis love brand passion and we see it on the arms of barbers all the time.
Gerald, keep an eye out for the UPS man with some Andis goodies!

Help A Hero - get a hair cut

This is a campaign to support military families... $ for calls home to loved ones. Supported by SportClips hair cutters. Have a look. Link here. Make a donation and get a great haircut.

IBS NYC

Just got word andis is confirmed for classes for classrooms for IBS NYC again this year. Never too early to plan. Mark your calendar April 22, 23, 24 Start planning NOW!
Link for details

Mohawk day!

Tomorrow is Andis mowhawk day.
The company exceeded our goal for fund raising for United Way orf Racine County... so... managers and employees agreed to get mowhawks. I am doing the cutting. Satay tuned for pics! 19 mowhawks in all to be cut. BGRc is the tool of choice for the event!

Get to know Karen Roby

Karen Roby - Andis team member - cosmetology educator - talented and passionate about learning about hair.
Profile in Modern Salon mag. Way cool. Way to go Karen.
Read it here.

Honored to meet you

Trevor Mitchell... the man who held the Guinness World hair Cut records before me stopped by to meet me at the show at salon international in London last week. He is a legend in hair cutting. His was gracious, but has vowed to reclaim "his" record. I hope he does. Nice to meet you sir! ( he is also in his late 70's.. still has plenty of energy and quite a few good hair cuts left in him. I can only hope to try to keep up with him.

MK in the UK design and graphics clippering

See the video featuring the big hits of MK in the UK clipper cut hair art designs. It is always inspiring to spend time with MK and learn from him.
Video link here.

Breaking up with service providers - a How-to

The article linked below ran in USA Today as I was leaving the US last week for a overseas show. It is a powerful piece of information for service providers like hair cutters. YOU should read this.
Link here.

Trends spotting 2011 London UK

Another fashion trend spotted at salon International 2012.

Shorts with tights. I saw lots of these on attendees on the show floor. Sure to be a popular look here in the US next fall, maybe even this fall if it gets here in time. Definitely a cold weather fashion as the shorts have always been worn in warm months. The tights or leggings give the shorts the ability to work through the winter. In some cases the shorts were VERY short. Some were longer, event to the knee.

I will state that this trend will NOT jump from females to males when it makes the jump to America. I hope and pray!

Modern Salon dot Com - Andis clipper cut technical Bradley Cooper hangover 2 look - How to cut it

Bradley Cooper in the Hangover 2 movie. Have a look at the link. This is a NEW ModernSalon dot Com clipper cut technical featuring the Andis Sonic+ clipper and me doing the cutting. Link HERE.

BGRc - The Andis Barber emial... are you a subscriber?

You should be. Here is the newest, latest edition. Have a look and subscribe today.
Link HERE.

Trend watch 2011

Every time I go to salon International, London, UK I am on the lookout for trends in hair , clothes, shoes, etc. So far I have a pretty good eye and track record. I see something. I comment on it here and then it shows up in America 1 year or so later as a serious fashion trend... I will surely see a few more... but one if the first to catch my eye has been harem pants... FLASHBACK... as fashion frequently is...
Here is 1 pic form the show floor... get ready. Either scrounge up an old pair or be ready to buy them when you see them soon on a store shelf. and... bad news... I saw them on guys as well as on women. Like a few other trends... this one might jump the Atlantic... but might not make it to the guys... We shall see. Remember you heard me say it here first.

What it takes to be a barber...

Next installment. What it takes to be a barber.
It takes a sense of humor, on many levels.
The days are long, the clients can be tough. They will throw all kinds of things at you. You have to be able to take it all well, brush it off, and move on.
You will see and hear things that will amaze you, scare you and most of all, if you are looking at it all in the right frame of mind they will make you laugh.
You should be able to tell a good joke, too.
You should be able to laugh at a good joke, even if the joke is directed at you.
There is a world of barber humor out there as well. Much if it critical of barbers and some of the things we have been known to do.
Some barbershop humor can be off color, inappropriate, sexist and downright wrong. You may not want to laugh at the joke itself... but you need to understand the situation and be able to move on.
That is not to say that you should tolerate hurtful comments, and insensitive behavior. Have standards and stand up for them... more on that next week.

Andis comes to Charlotte, NC

2 days of solid action packed Andis education are coming to Charlotte, NC this weekend. The BSG Fashion Focus show at the convention center downtown will be the place to be for clipper cutting education and training.
Andis and I have 3 classes and we have 4 classes co-oped with Woody's men's grooming. The latest cutting trends, classic barbering and hot deals on state-of-the-art tools will be shared. Come see me there. mention this blog post and ask for your FREE Andis gift! Safe travels. See you there.

Jason is in the game!

This past weekend was the hair show debut for Jason Potchen. I told you a few weeks back that he would be joining the Andis team. This weekend at the Indy show we made his debut. Jason cut on stage in a few classes and put out some really great cuts. He shared his deep base of clipper cutting knowledge and his enthusiasm for the clipper hair cut game. Nice job Jason. We will see more of him in the coming months.

What it takes to be a barber - C

Another post in the series... what it takes to be a barber.
Consistency
Consistency in your service delivery.
Consistency in your technical quality.
Consistency in your behavior.
Consistency in all aspects of your professional persona.

Can you deliver the same cut the same way every time?
Can you provide the same client experience time and again?
Can you be the same person all day, every day for client to get to know, count on and expect?

It is not easy. It requires keeping an eye on the goal. Putting the needs and expectations of your customers ahead of your own.

From a technical standpoint consistency is one of the BIG keys to long term client retention and satisfaction.

Even being consistently BAD is better then being hard to pin down with clients not knowing what to expect. Many consistently bad cutters are busy based upon relationship and the worry that no matter how bad things are here... they could be WORSE elsewhere.

Whoever you are and whatever you decide your barber business offerings are to be... just be consistent about it.

Indy weekend!

This is a big clipper weekend in Indianapolis, IN.
We have the BSG Fashion Focus show at the convention center. Andis will debut Jason Potchen on our show stage and on the show floor. We are cutting with Woody's Men's grooming on the floor and in a special classroom presentation. We will have great clipper and trimmer show deals available at the Andis show floor booth, too. Stop by to learn and say hello.

Blind Barber

Check out this NYC barber shop - Blind barber. Yes. A cool name. More importantly these guys appear to be another great barber shop committed to upholding the finest traditions of barber shop culture and professionalism in America. They are a definite stop on my next NYC trip.

Link here to their web site.

This is a link to a YouTube vid featuring them in a Levis Dockers promotion. Way cool.

This is a promotional vid from their web site for the shop as well... Good stuff.

Good work guys. keep the traditions alive with a modern spin on it. Just what guys need.

NEW technique - Video here.

Here is the video for the technique teased to you in the prior posting...

Have a look. LINK.

Inspired from the back row

I sat in the back row watching the presentation before mine. Waiting my turn. Listening for something I could use. I found it. A really neat-O hair cutting technique. Something I have never seen before... and I have seen a lot. 1 great idea is worth the entire price of admission. This one was well worth it.

It was a technique for trimming split ends and rendering an overall healthier look to longer hair. Trimming the base line does not do much to help. Re-layering does not allow the hair to grow out longer. Ignoring the split ends leaves them split... and prone to continued splitting up the hair shaft. Not good.

The presenter called the technique singing, as in singing with flame, like in the old days. Singing was a technique for lightly flaming off the ends of the hair. She did it with a scissors. I immediately figured out how I would do it with a trimmer... a clipper is too aggressive... a trimmer would be perfect.

I am to shoot a youtube video tomorrow featuring this technique... I will post it here to the blog shortly after. Stay tuned. Hate to be a teaser... but this will be great on video. Not so great if I just type it out. I promise... worth the wait!

Andis e Update is here.

The new Andis barberb update is here. Link HERE to see it. learn about the NEW Envy clipper and more!

Flat Top Time

You know me. It is always flat top time... but this time it was at a USMC base helping a new team of hair cutters master military cutting to support a new shop on base to serve our troops. Fun time. Serious hair. Major security. All the things you would expect.

Birds barber Shop Austin, TX

Birds Barber Shop
I stopped in to visit Birds barber Shop on south Congress Street in Austin last week. Very neat place. Simple and clean design with big panoramic windows. Prospective client can see in at all the happenings. Hair cutters can see out to be inspired by the world as the hair outside walks by.
I spent a few moments chatting with a hair cutter there. She was relatively new to the Birds team and was having a ball. She said she does not miss the chemical services of her last salon and loves to clipper cut. She had even just ordered some new Andis tools on line.
I dropped off a handfull of FREE Andis clipper combs (always a fave) and picked up a Birds sticker for my laptop. Fair trade!
Birds’ shops are known for trendy and progressive cuts in the Austin, TX area. They have introduced a collection of three styling products in pucks for great textured looks and fresh styles.
You know you are in a pretty hip place when item number 1 on the price menu is “Mohawk”. Click the LIKE button on that!
Here is a link to Birds fb page so you can learn more. Stop in when you are in town. Tell them ClipperGuy sent you.

My Lowhawk, 2nd edition

My Lowhawk, 2nd edition
While visiting and teaching at SportClips in Austin, TX last week I sat down in the chair for an update to my Lowhawk. I got the VIP verson of SportClips famous MVP service. The hot face towel and the neck and shoulder massage makes this upgrade a must-do on every visit. Have a look at the result. Sides are tighter. Top is higher. Works for me. Thank you SportClips.

The power of social networking - Guest blog - Kenny Duncan

Guest post from Andis team member Kenny Duncan

The power of social networking!

As I was looking to advertive an Andis clipper cutting class in the northern NJ area, I was looking for barbers and stylist to friend request on facebook to inform them of the class. As I was looking I came accros Klippers Barbershop, which caught my attention because of how well the barbershop was branded with the Klippers Barbershop logo. I was so impressed I had to add this barbershop to my facebook group for barbers called Clippereducation.com powered by Andis. I had to share what I was impressed with in this forum of 1300+ barbers from accros the globe, because we all can be inspired by the work of somebody who loves our craft just as much or even more than we do.
As a result I found out the name of the owner of this barbershop, Danny Amorim. Danny and I Started Networking on this open forum for barbers, which lead to him finding out about the series of Andis clipper cutting classes I was teaching in his area. When he came to 2 of the classes I shared how I was impressed with his efforts to brand his business and I gave him an opportunity to share his story with both classes, and they were impressed too. He and I left each class inspired for greatness.

After Danny was exposed to a whole new world of opportunities, he wanted to see more, so I told him to visit an industry trade show. To make a long story short , he came to the Bronner Bros show (one of the biggest trade shows of its kind), and I gave him a shot to showcase his talents on the Andis stage. He was elated by the opportunity and enthused to see other passionate barbers like himself. Another great thing was that the crowd recieved him well, especially the women who lived his beard!

In the end, we all learned from experience that social networking, when used for business can yield big dividends such as experiences, inspiration, motivation, and also education. The benefit in the end of all the networking that is done, is that in one way or another it leads to capitol generation. If that isnt a good enough reason for you to utilize social networks, than I dont know what is.

Nieto was Neat-O

Yesterday was training day for Jacob Nieto the 2011 Junior Style Stars winner. he won a full day of one-on-one training with me at SportClips in Austin, TX.
it was hot down in TX and the clippers were hard at work. We covered the top 10m techniques of clipper cutting mastery in a one-on-one format.

He did quite well and is on his way to a bright future as a clipper cutter.

Jacob, thank you for all your hard work. I hope I was not too rough on you.

What it takes to be a barber...

I have riffed on this at classes and shows live. I have never committed it to "paper".

Over the next few weeks in the Monday blog I will be blogging a list of words describing what I think it tales to be a successful barber.

I welcome comments, debate and discussion on all of it.

What it takes to be a barber:

Dependability - The community is counting on you. If the sign says 9 a.m - Open at 9 a.m. Not 9:15... Not 9:05... Not 9:45. If the sign says 6 p.m. clients can walk in the door until 6 p.m. If your book is light read a book, do some marketing, mail out some coupons. Do something. Do ANYTHING other than leave the shop. Be there when people need you and what you have to offer.

Availability is the key to building business. The barber who is present gets the walk-ins. Walk-ins are repeat requests the next time they come around.

Be the guy (or gal) that others can count on and you will be able to count on building a nice business as a barber.

Be dependable.

The cost of a hair cut

Why do we post the cost of a hair cut the way we do?
Post $45 on the wall and it might seem high (low to some).
How about if we post the price of a hair cut in $ per day?
A $45 haircut that lasts 6 weeks is a $1.07 per day hair cut.
A $22 haircut that lasts 2 weeks is a $1.57 hair cut.
We could market it in a number of interesting ways if we went that route.
Interesting thing is that as the haircuts get shorter... they grow out faster... and the skills to create them are more precise... the cost (think barber cuts) is lower per cut... yet if they last a shorter period of time they actually cost MORE per day to enjoy... as well they should.
How about the annual cost of upkeep?
A $45 haircut every 6 weeks for 1 full year is a $360 commitment.
A $22 haircut every 2 weeks is a $572 investment.
As a hair cutter it might seem that the $22 cuts are the better choice... Until you factor in the number of cuts you can do in a day, week, month. The higher $ haircut will always make you more money... unless you do not have the heads to keep the chair full.
From a marketing standpoint it is like water and gasoline. We gripe about $4 per gallon gas... and walk into the gas station and pay $1.39 for a 16oz bottle of water = nearly $6 paid for the water... which in most places can be had for FREE.
it is all in the marketing.
How are you marketing the value of your work?

Zoo cuts

Family Services of Racine held their taste of Racine event on Labor Day. Andis and I were there again. Cutting haircuts for donations, eating food and visiting animals. Fun was had by all except the little guy getting a haircut.

IL CEU education opportuty - Sept 26, 2011

This is a great class opportunity if you are seeking clipper cutting education and IL CEU's for the renewal year.
Link here.\
Location, Empire school in Lisle, IL
Clipper class 10 a.m. - 12 noon
This program is from Cosmetologists Chicago... Just like the ABS show you love!
See you there.

Fall 2011 Guy's hair trend watch

From my friend Dave Alexander at haircutsformen.org. Here is his article on Fall hair trend for 2011 for the guy's. Have a look.
Link here.
Good stuff here. Your next hair cut for the coming season is here for you to see NOW!

Cutting for Charity

I do about 8 or 9 of these each year. Donate my time and cut for donations to a good cause.
This is one I am doing next week. You can find many places to do this or create your own "opportunity".

Link

You get plenty of warm fuzzy feelings. In many cases you get a few new clients for your chair in your shop.

Set a "suggested donation". You will be surprised how many people give even more. Some will even drop cash and not even want to get a cut. Plan for more than you can cut. sell "gift certificates" on the spot for FREE cuts at a later time in the shop ($ go to the charity). You get the traffic, new people in your shop, etc.

Share your experiences with charity cutting.

Ivan

Cutting and being cut - More from Bronner

Me getting a hair cut on the Andis stage... and me cutting Sondra Clark... it was a busy weekend. We both got a ridgeline cut. She looks better! :)

Scenes from Bronner, continued...

Tameka Thomas (ATL) and Kenny Duncan (PHL) cutting on the Andis Stage, Zayne Ward (CAE) jumped up to knock one out and did a fine job. There was plenty of great cutting and a lot of interaction with Andis fans all weekend. MVP and Sonic+ clippers and SuperLiner trimmers were the hot sellers. Hair cutters snapped up Andis Bump Care for themselves and their clients.

Seen at Bronner bros show - new talent

This is a barber from Philly. He works at Mane Attraction on Walnut Street. Charles Edwards is a talented cutter and artist. he designed his shirt the night before the competition and created the matching look for the MLB barber competition the next day. Nice work Charles!

New to the Team

Andis is excited to introduce Jason Potchen of Merrilville, IN to our education team. Look for Jason making his debut at a show soon. He is a skilled barber and cosmetologist with a lot to share. Pictures of some of his work will be shared here later this week. Welcome Jason.

My blog at Curl Stylist . com

I post 2X per month over here at Curl Stylist . com it is a site for hair stylists who work with curly hair and hope to grow their business in this lucrative market segment. This is my latest entry.
Link here.
Have a look. Please share it with your hair cutter friends. There is a lot of other great stuff on the site as well.

The waiting cubby

Remember in kindergarten? You put your coat in the cubby. This was at a dog groomer. Finished dogs waited patiently in the "cubbies" up front. Barkers were not permitted to wait up front like this . They had to be caged in back. These guys were quite well behaved. Got me thinking... maybe for the kid cut shops and salons... Groom the little ones and then park them up front in the cubby waiting for mom to come back and pick them up. Might work.

In hot pursuit of Zoot!

I presented an Andis clipper cutting class at the Mario Tricoci University school in Bridgeview, IL on wed. this week. The crowd was great. they asked great questions and were welcoming and attentive. They had great models for me to cut... models make the class... better class when we have better models. The students had all made badges to wear to welcome me. have a look at the slogans! Nice! Just what my ego needs! Thank you all for a great visit. Now get busy putting hair on the floor with your Andis clippers! And remember to oil them. Every clipper, every trimmer, every client, every time!

The Andis monthly barber update

Here it is for the month of Aug.
have a look.
Tons of great Andis barber stuff every month.
You can subscribe... never miss an issue.
Link!

The Six Figure Hairdresser

This guy is a salon professional coach and support system. iPhone apps and tools to take you form wherever you are to incomes of six figures cutting hair. You should look into this guy and his materials. This kind of success in the hair business is available to ANYONE who wants it

Follow him on Twitter and on facebook, too. (I do).

Link to the web site here.

Powerful issue, Powerful issues

I just put down the summer 2011 edition of First Chair. This is a publication from the team at Modern Salon targeted at beauty industry students. I was impressed with the content. Smart technology to job hunting to technical concepts... this magazine has it all. It even has me i it with a picture and a quote. But the biggest thing I cam e away form the mag with was the realization that while the mag was put out there for students the content would be valuable for anyone working in our business. Veteran cutters will find things they can use here. Suppliers will learn much about out business by reading this as well. Anyone connected to our business can benefit from a cruise through this magazine. there is also a face book page. I jumped on there to like it. There is on line material as well. First Chair is for you as you hit your first chair in the business. it is also for anyone in the business wanting to put their chair FIRST in profit, professionalism and prestige. Check out First Chair at the link below. I highly recommend it.

Link.

Contract Educator Needed

The Andis Company is seeking clipper cutting educators/demonstrator contractors to present our products at classes, shows and seminars.
This is limited contract work, not full or part time employment.
Please review the requirements listed below. If you fulfill ALL the requirements please contact Ivan Zoot at email address expert@andisco.com
Thank you.Requirements:
Possess a current cosmetology or barber license.
Reside in the greater Chicago, IL area or the greater Milwaukee, WI community.
Be age 25 or older with a valid driver’s license, capable of renting a car.
Be available nights and weekends for travel and presentations.
Must have live cosmetology or barber skills presentation experience, and good stage presence. Advanced presentation and clipper cutting skills are a plus.
Be able to cut all textures and lengths of hair with a clipper, from short high and tight military flat tops to skin fades on ethnic textured hair to long lengths and layered cutting on Caucasian and Latino females.
Be able to travel and work unsupervised. Must submit paperwork and expense documentation electronically and in a timely manner.

Ad link here.

The Oprah Effect

The Oprah Effect on Andis… Contributed by guest blogger - Andis Educator Rodrick Samuels

While attending 51st Annual Palmetto Barbers Convention, I was distracted from conversing with someone by a great fluster of commotion around the corner where a large crowd was gathering.

Now, I have had my fair share of well-known Barber and Beauty personalities in one place in my life, and their presence seemed to be no really big deal for the hundreds of industry people in attendance. So, I could not imagine who was creating this kind of excitement. To try to get a glimpse of who it was, I perched myself up on a small platform supporting a large decorative tree.

And then I saw Oprah Winfrey’s Father, Vernon Winfrey and his wife surrounded by a large number of barbers, stylist, photographers and video cameras.

The tall and thin former soldier and former Nashville Metro Councilman whose world—famous daughter, queen of talk show television Oprah Winfrey, credits for being a tough disciplinarian during her formative years, is modest in his tastes and brimming with energy, despite some recent health woes. In a conversation that he had with Andis Educator Jaye Da Barber and me, “I love what I do for a living.”

Later that evening as we were preparing to walk the red carpet, to the Black Tie Dinner, I stood next to Mr. Winfrey and saw that he was adjusting his tie. I helped him out and also explained to him what Jaye (Jaye Da Barber) and I were doing at the conference. He is a very big Andis clipper fan and Jaye actually gave him a shave using the Andis Pro-Foil Shaver in which he (Vernon Winfrey) as amazed! Both Jaye and I squeezed next to Mr. Winfrey, who was smiling for the cameras. Thus, I was presented with an opportunity to take a picture (and speak with him) at extremely close range. So, I put my arm around him as the cameras flashed and wondered if Jaye and I would be on the front cover of The National Enquirer the following week.

Busy, Busy, Bronner

Andis will once again be the sponsor for the Bronner Show barber competition on Sunday morning. Register NOW on line to save on the registration fee. Win cash and a big trophy. Show off your barber skills. Each competitor gets a FREE Andis tools kit to use for the event and keep, win or lose... but all are winners just for participating. We will announce the tool here in the blog next week when it is confirmed. Space is limited to 48 competitors... and is usually filled up. You do not ant to miss this. In past years some winners have gone on to be members of the Andis cutting team. Kenny Duncan, Tone McGill and Eric Cheek are former winners. Who is next? Visit the Bronner bros web site HERE for more info.

almost Bronner show time...

The Bronner Bros. Mid-summer show 2012 is right around the corner. Andis will have a lot going on there. Over the next few blogs we will highlight all of what is happening at Bronner this time around. Let's start off with the floor stage. As always Andis will feature some of the industry's best clipper cutting talent including: Tome McGill, Kenny Duncan, Rodrick Samuels, Tameka Thomas, Eric Cheek, Jaye Da Barber... and oh yeah, Me. Here is the Bronner web site. Our booth is on the floor to the right when you walk in. We are HUGE You do NOT need a booth number to find us.... ...And if you do, you likely should not be cutting hair with that bad eyesight! :) See you there.

Shops you should know - Floyd's

Another shop you should know. Floyd's. Locations all over U.S.A. I have had my hair cut here a few times and have never had a bad experience of a bad cut. Good people and a strong average level of talent. Stop in one today. I recommend them for cuts or as a cutter... worth a look for a place to work. Link here.

Shops you should know - Rudy's

I am blogging shops I have come across that you should know about. Today it is Rudy"s. Out west. Popular chain. Here is their facebook page. Here is their web site. Have a look.

Masters of Barbering web site

I met the owner this past weekend at a show. He is an Andis fan and a classic barbering "keeper of the flame". Check out his web site and his info. Classic, solid and usable information. Look here.

Rick the barber form Vegas

Rick cut hair with Andis at the Vegas IBS show last month. new video here form Rick. Nice! Link.

More form the Bolt event

Just a few more images of Bolt barbers, this fun and funky shop on Melrose Ave. in LA

Bolt barbers visit

The Ivan vs. the Flowbee event last week at Bolt barbers in LA was a lot of fun. here are a few images of me and Mohawk Matt and the shop and the action. Talking to students, cutting some hair, posing with Mtt and a client and Mario the Flowbee expert.

Photo shoot

These are images form a photo shoot for a magazine. We were looking for a celeb inspired technical. Bradley Cooper from hangover 1 and 2 fame was out goal. This guy looked quite like him.

Me and 3 friends...

This is me with Rodrick Samuels, Jaye Da Barber and Lucky the mascot from the Lake County Fielders baseball team enjoying the game this past Tuesday.

Andis ink... another great master tat

On the arm of Chris Foster a new cutter at Smooth Cuts in Kenosha, WI. A great little shop near the Andis factory. We always appreciate the advertising.

A Fantastic night

Andis and I were on hand for the Fantastic Sam's hair cutting chain's California award night and competition. All attendees received an Andis clipper in their goody bag (and an Andis curling iron, too). We presented a special class for selected members of the Sam's team. I was a judge for the nights competition along with 2 other manufacturer representatives form other Sam's vendors. This was a great evening at the Disney Grand Californian resort. Thank you to all the great Sam's hair cutters we met.