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What does it actually take to stay ahead in an industry that never stops evolving?
According to Sarah Lund, Director of Education at Kevin.Murphy, and Rocky Rumpel, General Manager for Kevin.Murphy North America, it’s not just about chasing trends. It’s about predicting them, building community around them, getting products to customers, and backing everything with performance that keeps people coming back.
Finding Your Way Into the Industry
For Lund, the path wasn’t always hair.
She started as an esthetician, but within her first week of cosmetology school, something clicked. Hair wasn’t just a route, it was the route. That instinct to pivot early shaped a career now rooted in education and helping others find their place in the industry through Kevin.Murphy.
Rumpel’s entry point looked different. Inspired by his older brother, a hairstylist, he found his way into the business side of beauty. While he jokes that his only creative skill might be foiling, his role today is anything but limited. He oversees social strategy, marketing, long-term brand vision, and the milestones that define Kevin.Murphy’s growth.
Their perspectives represent the balance that drives the brand.
The Kevin.Murphy Difference
Kevin.Murphy is on Volume Up by The Tease to bust your myths. At its core, Kevin.Murphy is still exactly what it started as. It is a privately held, Australian-born brand with a distinctly laid-back, inclusive culture. And that matters.
“Having Kevin Murphy behind Kevin.Murphy makes it really special,” Lund shared. “Kevin is an incredible hairdresser, but he has this ability to predict what’s cool in a way I’ve never experienced before.”
It’s what Lund calls living on the “edge of coolness.”
You’ll see something Murphy puts out and then suddenly, it’s everywhere. That instinct, that timing, that vision is what draws people in. But performance is what keeps them.
From stylers to color to shampoos and conditioners, the expectation is simple. Everything has to meet the three pillars of fashion, performance, and environment. And it has to meet all three because that consistency builds consumer trust, and ultimately, loyalty.
“It’s an advantage that we’re privately owned, with a founder still deeply involved,” Rumpel explains. “Those three pillars are critical. They’re an extension of Kevin himself.”
Myth Busting the Modern Hair Industry
There are a lot of misconceptions in haircare, and Kevin.Murphy isn’t afraid to challenge them.
- Eco-friendly doesn’t mean less effective. You don’t have to sacrifice results for sustainability.
- Scalp care is skincare. Just like your face, your scalp often benefits from being washed more than you think. Pushing limits isn’t always better, overextending between washes can actually do more harm than good.
- Hair isn’t one-size-fits-all. The key is learning to treat it the way it wants to be treated.
Accessibility Without Compromise
Distribution paths have been one of the brand’s biggest changes recently.
Kevin.Murphy has long been known for its independent distributor network, a model the brand still deeply values. But its partnership with SalonCentric is for you, hairdressers. It is all about accessibility. Not acquisition. Not a rebrand. Not a loss of identity. Just making it easier for more people to access the products without compromising what makes the brand special.
Kevin Murphy himself is still very much involved, continuing to shape the vision, the products, and the culture (with that unmistakable Aussie energy).
Education, Evolution, and Confidence
Education has always been at the heart of Kevin.Murphy, and nowhere is that more evident than in Session Salon.
It is a four-part session program that explores mood-boards, product deep-dives, rapid-fire hair trials, and presentations, all wrapped into one immersive experience. It’s equal parts fashion, education, communication, and sales. But beyond the technical skills, it builds something even more important: confidence.
For many people, presenting is one of the biggest fears (glossophobia). Session Salon creates a space to face that fear head-on, turning hesitation into self-assurance.
Looking Ahead
Innovation isn’t slowing down for the brand. New launches and staple launches like Night Shift, an overnight treatment, show how the brand continues to evolve with both stylist and consumer needs in mind.
Because at the end of the day, change isn’t always easy, but necessary. And when it’s done right, it leads to something better like more accessible, easier-to-use products for hairdressers and clients alike.
Tune in below to hear more Kevin.Murphy myth-busters. Check out our Instagrams here at @Readthetease and @volumeupbythetease.
