Welcome back for our first episode of 2021! Kelly Ehlers and Jeffrey Lunnen swap holiday and NYE in the pandemic stories. On our first episode of the new year we had the pleasure of interviewing hairstyling icon and Bravo-lebrity Tabatha Coffey!
Tabatha’s current title is Matrix Global Business Ambassador but much like her advice to us on the show, she never stops moving. From her Bravo series to Business Education for Matrix and finally her own consulting work, Tabatha takes this advice to heart herself, even taking a course in financial literacy during lockdown in order to better educate salon owners on the topic.
We talked talked to Tabatha about many of the cultural challenges for salon professionals today including the below and more!
LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Beauty Industry
“I was really lucky that I grew up the way I did surrounded by the trans community and other members of the LGBTQ plus community. I am also part of the community myself. So growing up in that environment gave me a very different mindset and. You know, perception of everything. I think the salon industry has taken a lot of flack recently.
I think some of it is frustration that people are failing, that they absolutely should be feeling that way. And that’s totally warranted. I have always believed that. For me to be good at my craft. Every client is welcome in my door without judgment.”
Increasing Education on Diverse Hair Types
“We’re not showing enough diversity in beauty school. And that is not fair for anyone, anyone at all.
I don’t care who you are, where you come from, where you want to go, the clientele that you want to do. We need to approach our philosophy on hair texture. Embrace all of those textures that come into what we call hair and teach people appropriately in beauty school, what that is. And then, you know, let everyone, everyone has their ideal clientele or the dream clients they want to do then. Continue your education. As we all do, hone your skills, get better, practice, more, get a mentor, do all of those things, but it does fundamentally start in our schools.”
Her Rules for Creating a Bravo Show
“I had conditions that my family were off limits. My clients were off limits. My clients paid for my service and my expertise not to be put on television or spoken about, or any of those things. I’d had enough of a taste of being on television through sheer genius that I knew how vile. When they hide behind a computer screen and aren’t seen, and how they come and attack you or attack the people around you that you love.”
COVID-19’s Impact on Salons:
“With COVID and business owners are really struggling, but we wanted the public, especially to know that salon owners are doing everything they can to take care of their clients, following all these protocols, making sure that we have everything in place, and there are ways that clients can still support us.
And we wanted all the beauty professionals out there and salon owners and stylists to know that we’re also supporting them.”
Listen to the full episode to hear more from Tabatha Coffey:
