On the Forefront of Style and Image
By David Guerin
What’s your style? What’s your image? As professionals of the beauty industry we are at the forefront of not only style, but image as well. Our recommendations to our clients about their own style are the most personal of our professional responsibilities.
It is unfortunate that too many professionals don’t trust their own judgment. They wait for the client to tell them what they want, how their look should be a reflection of their image. But wait! Are we not the professionals here? We work to create style and image for a variety of clients all day long, day in and day out. Our client will only go home and work with the style we gave them, and usually without giving it much thought.
We are the professionals, so let’s agree to trust ourselves to the point that we are willing to advise our clients as to what style would work best for them. Show them how to change it up so they don’t get into a rut, looking the same every day, no matter the occasion. People get bored with their look just like we can get bored doing the same style over and over again. It’s this type of attitude that will make them a regular client.
Now, flip the mirror around and take a look at yourself: do you look the same as you did six months ago? If so, maybe you need to change it up. Follow the trends and project what your clients want to see: an icon of style and image. And don’t just stop at your hair, skin, and nails; clothing is a key to pulling the look together. Drop a few extra bills for a few stylish pieces that can be mixed together and throw out those T-shirts and jeans you have had since high school! Be on the forefront of style and image and present yourself as the professional you are. Look the part. Be the part.
Our clients are coming in to hand us money to take care of their style and image. We must keep ourselves on top of our game by educating ourselves on trends in hair and fashion. Showing confidence in your creativity is the greatest way to say “thank you” to the people who have come to rely on you month after month.
Continuing education is a must in order to survive in this industry. Being on the forefront of trends, the hottest products, and a continually broader range of skills can be acquired through attending trade shows, reading trade journals, watching the news, and networking with fellow professionals in your field. I have been behind the chair for 35 years and even though I spend a lot of my time traveling the world, teaching and sharing skills with our peers, I know the industry is forever changing. I believe that this industry will swallow you whole as soon as you start to get an “I-Know-It-All” attitude. Stay inquisitive and you will naturally be a leader in projecting style and image.
Your current and potential clients will naturally listen to and follow the advice of someone who projects their self as a leader in this industry. Release yourself from an attitude of “Oh, I can’t do that” or “I don’t have any interest in that”. Let your creativity soar and expose yourself to as much as possible with an open mind. Your clients will thank you for it.
David Guerin is known as the “Style Renegade” of the beauty business. His high energy style of teaching along with his knowledge of clipper cutting has made him one of the most sought after clipper cutters in the world. Not only has Guerin taught and inspired hundreds of thousands of barbers and hairdressers, but his educational DVDs are among the most requested in our industry. Guerin is a professional’s professional; his passion for giving back to our industry is felt and experienced from the moment you see and meet him. For more information, visit stylerenegade.com.