Episode 1: MattLovesHair - Spilling #HairTok Tea

0:07 Hello, beautiful humans. This is Jennifer Norman, and I am so excited to be here with you today with Matt Newman and he is better known as matloff hair. You've probably seen him on Tick Tock. He's got a million followers. He's got almost 200,000 followers right now on Instagram and climbing. I'm sure tomorrow, it'll be like a hundred million. He is an absolute treasure. Sure, when I discovered that on Tick-Tock, I was number one, just entranced by number one. His gorgeous. Looks and his hair, but beyond that his personality, you just can't find anybody sweeter. Anybody Kinder. He will randomly stop people on the street and give them products, which is in my book.

0:53 One of the greatest things that could ever happen to a person to brighten up their day. So, welcome that. I'm so happy You're here. Hi. I am so happy to be connected with you and your amazing initiative and everything that you have going on. Thank you so much. It's really great to speak to you today and so of course I want to dive right into it because everybody wants to know like what is it I mean you've got this amazing head of hair and you know all the tips and the tricks and what to do with it and what not to do with it. But you know what was it that made you realize that you wanted? To pursue a career in hair. You know, it's thank you for asking.

1:34 First of all, such a sweet question. I went to beauty school, right after I graduated college one, I was it getting my undergrad degree. I had a boyfriend who was not in college and I always was telling him, he should go to beauty school because he loved all of that and, you know, he loved it all. He loved all Glam, everything and he never really wanted to. And then when I was School. And thinking about what I wanted to do, I was like, why do I think only Gary gets to go to Beauty School? Just because he didn't do an undergrad. I could do that if I wanted. So, you know what? I signed up for school in New York and I moved from. I lived my whole life in Michigan and I moved to Manhattan and I went to school in Union Square in a beauty school that is now defunct no longer exist. What are some of your role models? Did you have any when you were growing up? Or do you have any now?

2:29 Yes, yes, of course, you know, all right, I have always had a really sweet spot in my heart for Pamela Anderson. I have a door when I was young. That was one of the first people in media. I'm 34. So, when I was young was kind of the Baywatch era and I was enamored with her, I love camel Anderson, I've always loved, Pamela Anderson and I'm loving now that she's back in the Forefront and where he seeing just more, I adore, Pamela Anderson, I love everything. She As you know, such a such a graceful beauty, that is how I perceive her and I've always been very drawn to glamorous women.

3:10 They just make me feel alive. They make me feel excited. And you know, she's the height of Glamour to me, you know, I have to say that I think men women, we all have crushes on, Pamela Anderson Anderson. Let's face it. I think the first time that I saw her, she was actually an extra on Married with Children. And I loved that show when I was down Monday following her down, the aisles of a vast or something. And he kept dropping stuff to make her like bend over. I think my goodness. Absolutely everything she just commanded every ounce of everything with her Glamour and her beauty.

3:58 I've just I was so Armored with Kelly Bundy, yes, but amazing. You say that? Well, I think that it's interesting because when, you know, Pamela Anderson was, you know, in the threats. I mean, it's like the Unapologetic, divine feminine incarnate, you know, it's just like she was and continues to be just drop dead gorgeous. And it's like, the epitome of what l.a. style is. I actually have a fun pseudo Baywatch story, which is not with Pamela. Anderson, but with David household and I have to, I have to share this because it's hilarious. I was back in college on the dance team. Like, it was kind of like Laker Girls. We would perform at all of the basketball games and at this particular point, we were in the cheering and dancing championships that they used to show on ESPN and we went down to San Antonio and we're you know, we're all stay. All these bunch of girls are, you know, staying at this. Like I guess it was Like a Marriott hotel where they had the pool and the, you know, the hot tub and we're all kind of hanging out in the hot tub and the pool lo and behold, they're kind of David Hasselhoff.

5:09 He's like filming something there and we're all like, oh my God. And so when somebody says oh my God, that's David. How I immediately like get out like jump out of the pool and I was like, how's it going and all the time? He looked at me and I was like, oh hi. And then I turned around. I was like well, that was a strange kind of a reaction and then my girlfriends are like For your bathing suit top and had completely come down and yes, I flashed the Hoff when I was in college and Jennifer. I was not expecting that. No one is scared for that story, but isn't it didn't see a flashing people and I and this is perpetuated throughout my life. I, you know, we can we can have drinks sometime and I can tell you a little bit more about it but that was that was a defining moment in my life.

5:57 Let's just say that is They're cool. First of all, Lucky Lucky David Hasselhoff I know and he got a lucky break that day and also thank you for sharing that's hysterical eyelid or that. I know, I just wanted to crawl under a rock and die. But, you know, at this point it's a story for Old Times Sake. It's a good one, it's a good story, we're sure I want to ask you, you know, there are so many people who would describe Beauty as one way or another. I would love to know, like how would you define Beauty? What do you I think beauty is to you. It's very interesting. You know I think about that a lot more. Now as someone like kind of in a category described as Beauty content creation and and I've been asked that, I've been asked about that before and it's it's not necessarily. I have a hard time putting into words but I think that is. But what I would say is that to me beauty is when you're able to take the representation of what feels good in. Side and feel comfortable that that is connected to what you're projecting outside.

7:07 So it's definitely a connection there. It's got to be it's got to come from what feels good inside to then sort of a manifestation and how you can present outside. Yeah, I like to think of us all as, like, gods and goddesses and almost like these mythical creatures and beings in our imaginations and less like this is who I really am inside. And even though I'm wearing skin, and Hair and all this, you know, hat. Like how you feel that power that magic that Essence. If you can in any weight like with your jewelry? Or with, you know, your hair color have, you know your lashes? I mean drag is Mike the most fascinating phenomenon. Tell me about it, right? I mean these are gods and goddesses but yeah you're exactly right.

7:49 I think it's like if you can show up in the world as manifesting the the true self that authentic person or being Divine being You're really holding with any arrow and just happy about it and that worrying about the criticism, right? Not worrying about what anybody else thinks because it's none of your business. What they think it's their difference, but they think and it's often a reflection on what they think about themselves, but, you know, if you can go out and Surround that is inspiring and I agree and, and to me, it's feels that there is no one Beauty, you know, it's like that. That is the representation that it's everyone's. So, Dividual there is there will never be one standard of beauty and I love that were in this place these days word us finally recognized.

8:38 I agree. I mean, I think about like the beauty like the essence of beauty or what people thought was Beauty over time, and how rigid it was and how strict it was. And how fear-based frankly it was more than anything, right? It wasn't liberating. It wasn't like show your own style, it was more like do you fit in And and can we accept you the way that you are or do we need some old you and like you know, fashion you to look like something that we're expecting of you, right? I will. Yeah, I have on my website. It's interesting that this phrase like pretty is a look. But beauty is a feeling and something about that. To me is like you know, if you feel in love with yourself, if you've got that self-esteem in that self-confidence and that is beauty. That's the positivity that you know, Goes Forth and and You know all this might be pretty but you know if you really are living and looking like your truth and amen, I think that that's the best thing, right?

9:40 I think so too. I really think so too and it's lovely to be in a time where this conversation is even taking place. Hmm. Yeah I think about Asian cultures in the past where it was all about like the white white skin, the certain kind of hair almost like a geisha modality or foot binding or you know I've been like diving into So, like cultural roots of certain traditions and rituals in Beauty, and I'm like, man, I'm so happy that I live in this town where you can be you and I can be me, it's just so much better. I really, I feel the same way, so I'm curious, like, have you always felt this way or has your relationship with your own sense? Of beauty changed is, you know, you've grown and you've developed in your career.

10:25 What do you think? It's, you know, I'm gonna to be totally honest and say that my career is a hairstylist leading up to content. Creation was definitely a factor in determining that sense of we all bring our Beauty from within my career in content creation. It's actually taught, you know, it wears down that that armor of positivity, you know, being on an app where you're so easily compared to someone else. And so quantifiable by what your reaction on the For different platforms are. Yeah, it's hard. It is hard. Actually, it takes a toll on that ability to let the beauty come from within.

11:08 And it's, you know, I fall into that pit fall of comparison and, you know, wanting to I guess be like the things that I see that I admire and I used to have an easier time, really walking the walk and talking the talk of that beauty coming from within and it hasn't diminished and I'm not being fake and phony when I say it now. But the work on social media, it makes it a little harder honestly because I'm spending every day editing pictures of myself editing video of myself worse than pictures is editing. The videos all day. A little too much me. It's a little too much me and then every time you go to post that you see other people and it's just it's hard not to compare.

11:53 So I think that my work is a hair stylist. Working with real people, real clients. And even in the Fashion District they always work behind the scenes in fashion leading up to content creation. All of that really established where I believe that sense of beauty coming from within came from, hmm, the social media makes a little trickier. So and but that gives me more resolution to If even if I have to fake it till I make it and show my forehead wrinkles show. No filter show, minimal, you know, lighting, I have a ring light here. It's only for like filming in the winter because, you know, you get with no lighting, you can get pixelated, but I try to let the frizzies show, let the lines show let the mismatched curls show, it's because I know how I feel after two years of being sucked into Beauty, social media, It can be hard, it can wear, it can wear on you seeing all these perfect images.

12:50 I'm like, let me continue to share imperfect please because I'd rather contribute to that. Number one, thank you so much for your honesty, and for sharing that, these are the words that a lot of people don't hear. They don't hear about as a content creator, because everybody always thinks, so the internet Looks So Glamorous, and everybody is having such a great time. And then, you know, people are sitting there scrolling being like Oh my God. You know I just can't I can't compete and for you to be able to say that and share that message. Number one, it's hella true. I mean if you're thinking about trying to compete with algorithms and people thinking about okay well what's going to be getting the most like 7 seconds on Tick Tock or if I can use this, you know, particular background music or you know if I do this kind of a before and after with this voiceover and these fact I mean it's almost like it becomes a Science and it becomes so technical. Yeah, that you've got to think about it does take a lot of that but like freedom of Love of in the joy out of what you're originally doing and that's part of the work I suppose, right? And but yeah, I'm wondering if we like conversations, like this can continue to get to The Tick-Tock, some of Facebook's and Instagrams and the, you know, those that are creating these platforms all of the filters, which You know, are entertaining, let's face it, you know? And then some of them are problematic if used in the wrong way, but again, it's a very

14:23 personal thing, you know, if, if somebody chooses to use a filter because they think it's hilarious or if they think that oh I'm you know you know this this this brightness in my eyes it's like helping me to manifest the me that I want. Then that's that person, you know, that's and there's no judgment. You know, there's there's no shaming of anybody that uses filters at one point. I was there, I kind of was like, okay. Nobody should be using filters. I thought it was toxic. That word toxic is overused but but I, you know, I was just like, you know what? Let's like stop for a moment and say, you know, here I'm having this conversation, I'm sharing this because this is how I'm feeling about me right now and this is a journey and it's a continual process for me to continue to find that joy and see how I can, you know, Elevate the magic within what I'm doing. Even despite all these things because there's always going to be these things at work.

15:16 Right, no matter if you're a content creator or yeah, if you're sitting in an office somewhere, there's always going to be the turkeys that are going to get you down. Right? Right. And honestly I take no issue with other people using filter like do whatever makes you happy. I personally don't think I could handle editing content of myself filtered all day because you know I post a video every single day so whether it's 15 seconds or a minute that's, you know of in out that's a bit of work where I'm watching my my Own image. And I think if I were to consume myself filtered all day every day, it'll be even harder to reconcile reality. So, I am completely open to anyone, doing whatever they want.

16:01 I just know that for me, I have to kind of keep the filters off my off, my own page if it's like partly. Because I like showing real but also for my own. You know, I have those insecurities. I am, I like the filters? I like how I look. Look with the filters. In fact, I liked them so much that I can't use that because I get to sucked into them. There you go. There you go. And and you know and even recognizing that I think is, you know, they always say it's so the first step of healing. It's like the awareness of it is like, okay, I realized that there could be a dependency here or there could be some sort of a Reliance and if I don't keep it in check for myself, you know, doesn't matter what anybody else says.

16:44 But what if you didn't check for myself? Fan, I may end up feeling this way and then projecting something else. And then the two are not necessarily A lining and it's all about alignment in the end, right? So I yeah, I, you know, congratulate you for recognizing that and, you know, being in this space and being able like, for me, you know, when I because I came up in supermodel Beauties, I was like, you know, I was the person who is ordering the zits and the Stray hairs and the Has to be retouched out. I mean, that was what I did and as my career earlier on. And so I feel like I'm almost like trying to, you know, make up for all the like I'm atoning right now for all of that. And so yeah, it's kind of like to it was extraordinary for me to start seeing people being okay on like First on YouTube because it kind of started on YouTube like showing their skin and their faces before and then the after I was like, that is so Courageous.

17:47 Like, and that changed everything. It really is inspiring to me. It's inspiring, you know, and so it's again, brings me back to the fact that I'm happy to be here. Now, very happy to be here. Now, times have changed and it's nice. Amen, Amen to that. Wow. So you know, you've got this huge following, as I mentioned on social media with, like, all these people look, you know, following you on Tick, Tock and Instagram, and granted. You've gotten to try some fancy products and some tools that I'm like I have never seen this before. Wow. And so thank you. Number one for introducing me to all these like massive brushes and the dryers and the curling irons and stuff.

18:28 But like are there any that like stand out for you as your favorites? Okay. I posed by test and post it all. Its I get joy out of it. I get absolute joy out of trying things and sharing them. Nothing will ever top for me. A round brush and blow dryer. Like that. I honestly, when I was in Beauty School, nobody taught us how to do a good round. Brush blow dry. I went and took a job at one of those blow-dry chains like blow-dry only salons because I was like, that is the one thing I went to. I wanted to learn how to do that so bad and I never learned in beauty school. So I was like, let me go get the job at one of these places just do it a thousand times till I know how to do it. Nothing will ever top of a round brush and blow dryer to me? I mean I just adore that style you You can, you could do it works great on healthy hair.

19:19 It totally conceals dead ends and split ends, you know, it's it's a magic, it's a magic hair, Caroline door around where some liquor and I'm yet to find anything I prefer. I mean, I love all the stuff that I've posted. We have the super viral are rap, winter with everyone, receiving the many people. It looks like it almost looks like it's visit squared's, it really is. I'm like, it's reversing like If you're amazing. So it's pure physics, it's the there. The Twist, there's little, those pink slits. Are are coming out. Yeah. Out, not in the air is coming out and it creates like centrifugal force that literally does that.

20:04 And then the warm air sets, the texture of the curl, very interesting, very interesting, very user friendly, it's a great consumer product as a hair stylist, there is nothing L ever love me. More than a round brush and blow dryer. Wow. So, round brush, like, ceramic, what kind of bristles like, is they're all of it, any see that? And that's okay, that's where you can get. That's where you can get specific for hair type and texture and desired outcome. There is, you know, basically a metal brush, tell me if this is boring but metal-faced. Okay, good great. I'm in good company. So a metal base of a brush is going to give you maximum like curl definition because that hot Metal brushes acting like curling iron, right?

20:48 If you have a wooden base of a brush, you're going to get less of that curl shape because the wood is not heating up in setting. The texture boar bristles are going to give you maximum smoothness especially for any type of texture. If you have even wave to type for, see texture hair, the boar bristle really is going to silky and smooth out that thing that Strand and the plastic bristles. Eels give more volume so and then there's combinations of it. All, you know, there's metal base with boar bristles. There's wood base with board, whistles. There's metal base plastic. It's you can find it all. Wow, that is so cool. You know, it's funny because my hair is usually pretty darn straight because I'm 100% Korean. And I used to be like my hair was always down to my butt for the longest time, and it's just been getting. So, just damaged and like a color. It I'm like, I've got so So much gray hair coming in and so I'm like highlighting and coloring and and I recently found something which is like this.

21:52 I went I didn't Ulta run and I found this which I thought was kind of interesting. So I tried that and it puts like these rose gold kind of tones in which I have to say. I'm happy with it. I'm happy love that. How I've always been like really hair involved because I like I even like I like back in the day, I actually helped to launch the ferry a hair color line. When it first came out like 25. Five years ago, but I thought I was like one of the first things that I ever launched and, and I can't believe it's still around today. So that was, that was super fun. So, and I've worked in hair care to, but when I actually had like obtained, a stepdaughter through marriage who was half-black, half-puerto, Rican, and her hair was so beautifully naturally, curly, and I didn't know what to do with it here.

22:43 I was with my Mason Pearson brush like And I was, it was a lesson in just, you know, trial and error for for sure, for her growing up and it was a lot of just like throw it up in a bun. It happens, you know, I feel that that is its own sort of issue in the hair care industry. That's, it's a whole own Tommy. I was fortunate, I went to Beauty School in New York city so I'd never done here. I went almost, as I said, kind of on an idea in a way and I went to Beauty School in New York city. That is Every texture, every type, every everything from the teachers, to the classmates to the clients that came in. So I have and then I aspired to work in fashion so you cannot show up to a photo shoot and not be able to do one of the models, hear you.

23:32 I mean, it happens and it's really unprofessional of people and it's horrifying and it's humiliating to watch them go through that. It's so wrong and I've seen it happen where another stylist on a set. Said, they could, you know, not perform for whatever reasons on this, whatever texture. I'm always horrified for those people and I would feel like just got it if I had to say that to someone. So, you know, I feel it. So, you know, the whole, I actually just recorded content with a friend yesterday where we went shampoo shopping in the store in the aisle, that's a newest series. I'm doing taking people to like, Target and Alta and yeah, it's tough out. So, we went for her type for see where you're standing in, front of the contraception, by the way. Yeah.

24:19 Okay. That's one example. That was yesterday. I was like, we're done, we're done filming. Let's take a selfie before we go. And I'm going to post it later this week, but I want to share your beautiful smile today, so and then I realized we were standing in front of the pregnancy test. Was like, that's fun. Let's do it. So it's just so fun to, you know, shot. I had a blaster master. I cannot wait to post the content is going to be so fun. Yeah, I have been reading, you know, in beauty news and such about the lack of training for textured and you know, African-American hair like you know, they're like the different kinds of like course to curly hair and and I think that it's nice to bring visibility to it. I think that hopefully there will be more Our training within schools and they'll be more hiring with in salons and all of that for sure it was.

25:22 So it was honestly to me I was very shocked when I got out in the field in the industry because my beauty school was just so every single and I don't I'm not just saying every type of girl every type of thin fine, loose hair every type of straight coarse hair, literally. We had people from every Walk of Life from probably every continent we had People from everywhere teachers, classmates clients, I can do whatever I can do on one person's hair, I can do it, anybody else's, and I just thought that was part of the deal and I was shocked to get out into the field and see that that wasn't the case for a lot of people. Wow, wow. Yeah stuff. Well, yeah.

26:03 I'm I'm glad that you were able to get your training and NYC the place doing, and went to the place to be. Honestly, I was so surprised when I got out into the world. Now, what here, Was, I can't do that texture. Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of New York and where I think a lot of people are curious like, aside from doing Contents. I know that that's a consumes most of your time every day. But what's it like to be you on an in like your average day? Like, do you wake up? You have a routine. Do you have a little ritual? You've got dogs? I understand. Yes, I have to. Okay, my dog me up every single morning. He is up before me. He jumps on top of me. He licks my face. Says, he's ready to go.

26:45 He is my alarm clock, nut. First thing we do is hit the street first thing, you know, I leave next, I always go to bed with my jacket, my wallet, the leash, the poop bag all the already there because I don't want to be running around the house looking for it, and where there is no waiting for him. He's up, he's ready. Take a walk around the neighborhood with the dog. That's step one. I try really hard, not to open social media, at least, for like an hour or so. But I failed that mission every time, every most of the time I feel that so definitely a lot of peeking in scrolling, you know, I used to just be a real everyday hairstylist. It used to be always, I was freely. I worked aspiring in the fashion industry. I was an assistant for a decade.

27:33 I was an assistant on set as a to of a hair stylist and fashion shoots, I always say stylist. And Google think I mean close. I was an assist hair assistant in fashion. For ten years and what really kept the kept everything afloat. During that period was lots of odd jobs. I did Glam Squad. I did dry bar. I did all the I'd approve all of the at home. Blowouts. I did it all. I did hair for the dancers at a gentlemen's club, I used to go like four nights the week. I would go at about 6 p.m. and go do the girls, elevated gentlemen's club. It was very elevated, it was very sophisticated, it was a lie. Lovely fillets it that to me.

28:15 That's really where I went. I worked there for almost seven years and I only stopped at the pandemic when it closed during lockdown. That to me was really where I grew up. You know, I went into that job of very naive person and I came out of it, the me that I am now. So I hold that place in a very special place in my heart, and still friends with a lot of the women that I work with there. But now, my routine is Lately, different. You know, I have not taken clients in over a year. So I just every day is more content creation. I have, I'm fortunate enough to have Partnerships going on most of the time, so it's a lot of balancing creating the creative stuff for the organic stuff, and then working on, getting the partnership content all worked out.

29:06 It's, it's a whole shebang. So did this transition happen because of covid-19, Absolutely. Absolutely. I did not I did not really use social media other than out of friendly. Happy birthdays. And this sort you know, little vacation pictures and such. I didn't use social media seriously until covid. Wow. And so was that when you discover Tick-Tock, what did you have an Instagram first? And then take, I had it. No, I always had a personal Instagram account, just for fun. Just keep up with friends and more the consumed, you know, I was like a watch or not. Not a poster really. And during that first lockdown, I took a video of my neighbors across the street.

29:52 Trying to do the Savage by Megan the Staley bands on the roof and they were failing that they could not get it together. Yeah, I know little jokey voiceover as they were doing exams before the voiceover option on tic toc even existed. So we recorded it all in the app. Speaking live making little joke he's and the video got a couple And Views over the course of a week or two. Wow. Which I was shocking and I think it gets I think about three or four thousand people follow just clicked follow off of that video and I thought that's really ridiculous. I did not even think about. I forgot that people could go viral. You could gain a following and I'm not a comedian.

30:34 I am a silly and fun and I'm always smiling. But I'm not great at like presenting jokes to the camera which is fine not ever. He's got to do everything. So I was like, I can't really keep up the funny stuff, it was kind of a moment in time that I captured and had fun with in my boyfriend, said to me, oh, you should make your videos. People love videos about hair. I was like I'm dumb. I hairstyles I could do that and and I did so I blow dried my hair and I made a video that totally flopped it was not interesting and it did not click. But while my hair was blow-dried for the next few days and straight and I was like, I don't know, just keep Stuff while my hair straightened and at the end of the week, one of the things I finally had a good idea. And it was this thing that I remember, I do that people are always surprised by like a little, a little styling trick that I felt like nobody other people do. But most people don't think of, okay, and I thought I'll make a video about that.

31:32 I'll make a video of that and it did well. And then from then on I just haven't stopped. Wow. What like how long was it before you realize that this could Be a career or at least something that could really support you frankly. For a, I'll tell you what I knew before I even start with the minute, he said, make it my boyfriend said you should make her videos. I was like, duh people, people do fabulous presenting Beauty, content online. I never consumed Beauty content. I was not familiar with YouTube. I was not rude, but I did know as a hair stylist that there were people out there who showed every single client, every single every Thing and you would see them with sponsorships and and collaborations with Brands paying to be a part of their presentation. And I was like, oh yeah, that exists. That's a great way to, you know, I was out of I was completely out of work for that first month of lockdown, all right? You know, like all my freelance jobs disappeared, all of my side, hustle app at home here, blow-dries kaput, the club doors are closed.

32:42 So So the minute, the minute Jeffrey said, the thing about making hair videos, I was like duh like that's its own career path that I could do off my phone right here. Wow! Wow, that's amazing. So do you remember like what was your first sponsorship or some good like if we were approached first of all, or did you kind of hustle and and do your own like hustling and out to find sponsors? I will to this day the best Partnerships. Are the things that they come to, they seek me out, like, everything, where it's the people were. The brand is looking for me in the first place, that's always what goes past, you know, those are natural. Oftentimes, it's because I've shown the products in my, it's, you know, where I organically use it. So, it's something I can easily say yes to without having to test the products I've used it for years or maybe 22, whatever it may be.

33:37 Those are always my almost all of my Partnerships are like that. Every once in, In a while, something comes my way that I test out for weeks if not months before getting ready to present it as if it's up to my standards, to be honest. That I take really seriously, I take it very seriously, not not including things. I don't really like I just can't go there. Yeah honesty is so important without that if you know you really have it all for, you know, what this is. This is just not working for me and this is working for me. In the end. That's where you lean into the things that are really working for you.

34:18 And I've had to say, no, I've had to say, no, I'm not going to say what? Because one of my friends use the term, don't yuck my yum like, if anything can be good for anyone, but I have to feel that genuine connection. But my first sponsorship ever was and it came my way with surrender, Birchbox Men's Grooming, they have a special box facial hair and it's not makeup and Stuff like that. And I was floored. I thought it was the coolest thing that ever happened. I was so excited, it was one video and it was not a huge rate, but I was very encouraged, and they gave me six months of the Birchbox subscription and I adored it. I imagine that the pr boxes are insane. My it gives me anxiety about my eco footprint. I'm like, my eco footprint is through the roof these days. I've got to do something to like, bam. I mean, of course, I recycle everything. I, you know, I and I try to get everything. I donate a lot.

35:28 The bulk of everything is donated, it's hard to find people who will accept a lot of it is not packaged, you know, it's not only are the few things that I've opened and used opened and used, but all the other stuff just comes like not Crapped know but a lot, you know, not in boxes so you know what, Matt, you just need to sign it and then you know, put it up on, you know for you know an auction and we're to the food. My oldest sister is an ophthalmologist and she basically Works in research at our University. But she is affiliated with a free clinic where they started doing opthamology appointments for people in need. So I'm able to we're setting up a whole closet. Freebies.

36:13 And I'm going to get all of my excess sent over there. It's that's its own task because it's again, it's been hard. A lot of places can't accept it because it's my sister's place. They are able to say yes. It's all about for, we know, it's all fine. So that's going to be a difficult thing, getting that all there, but I look forward to the day, that's finally set up. I'm that'll be cool. That will make me feel good. Oh good. Yeah, I have to agree with you number one because I am in that place where I'm trying to put products together. Sir. And I'm like I and I'm very conscientious about the environmental impact of what I'm doing and so, you know, all of my packaging is recyclable but I actually have a zero waste program where I will for free, give people the shipping label that they can return either.

36:57 My products or whomever else is it doesn't matter if you get something from, you know, Birchbox or send it to my company. And we will send it to terracycle so that it gets recycled properly. Because I think it's like only nine percent of anything that goes. Your Municipal blue bin actually gets recycled, which is that, you know, kind of a crime, but it's just the fact of the economics of the broken recycling system, right? Yeah. And I see these videos and these pictures of influencers, that just have, like Stacks and stacks of boxes that they're like, oh my God, I am overwhelmed. I have to get, I have to get through all this product and I mean, while I would be like, it would be like, you know, Christmas to some of the somebody else.

37:39 But it's it is, it's anxiety. It's like, oh my God, I absolutely, you know. People send this to me and I'm not. Mine, is I, I don't get those sky high mountains, you know, I'm so Niche. And I'm not, I'm not that person. It doesn't just flood but it's enough that I miss ya. Oh my goodness and also terracycle is amazing Tara Cycles. Amazing, I think there's a terracycle drop-off center in the city that I really want to go make a video for like Earth. An Earth Day is coming up. I need to Quick reminder, I want to go highlight the terracycle drop-off center that I'm aware of somewhere downtown. I'm like, okay, let me put that out.

38:20 Just remind people because that's a fabulous program. That is a fabulous program. I adore terracycle. Yeah, anything any little bit, that helps a lot of people think it, you know, like, oh, you know, I'm just one person or one consumer, one households and it's not going to make a difference what I do. But it adds dust adds up. It's very important. The yay for being conscientious. Yeah, we Got to try amazing. Amazing. So how is it that you remain? So positive and optimistic and happy. What is this? What are you drinking? What do you smoking that?

39:04 That's how you perceive me. That that's, I'm glad that's what's coming out. It's definitely I try to, in terms of the content that I put out. I try my very hardest to focus in on that side of myself. That is not the 100% all of the time. So picture of me, I'm a well-rounded, there's more to me than what's on social media. I'm not one of those. Tell it all to the camera all day everyday people and I do keep some of my, my more complex emotions that are less positive. I do kind of keep those offline and manage those just in my own. Life and in my own way. So I'm really honored to hear that you're that the perception that's coming along with my pages. Those moments of positivity and those moments of community building because it's important to me, it's really important to me and interestingly enough as much as I could say earlier that the social media can be the compare and despair side of it. It also there is a another side to that coin where the community and the feedback and the positivity and the support. It brings me up.

40:12 It brings me so high up. I answer all my DMs. I get messages from people all day asking, questions about tips. You know how to do this in those moments are so meaningful to me. It's absolutely so meaningful to me. It's it's what I used to do all day every day. Before the pandemic was you know, I would have days where I had no you know, no photo shoots and I would do a whole week of Glam Squad all week and that's going to someone's different 7 8 10 12. L've houses a day meeting a new person, connecting, helping them feel good, helping them, you know, pick the things they need. I miss that, I miss that.

40:53 And now I get it through answering my DMs, and it does bring me up. It really makes me feel good. And I think, well, I am here to reflect back what I say. And say, yes, what I see is in a really genuine positivity and to your point. And I know it's important to say it's like, you know, being up all the time. It may Not necessarily be the healthiest thing either you have to you know there are these these moments where it's okay to be sad. It's okay to be angry. It's okay to be pissed. It's okay to, you know, all of those things are a natural part of Wellness to, but I truly believe and this is an, it just might be an odd statement, but I do believe hairstylist are healers. I think that there is something about the power of touch about the power and of being able to have those conversations, like therapy sessions for all the persons in your chair.

41:42 Yeah, and you were beautifying that person, you're helping so you know, give that person a, you know, just like a refresh, or a touchup or a full-on makeover, whatever that they want so that they can then feel better about themselves to. So, I think that it's a, let's it's like a, like, a one-hour, like some type, in my case, it's a four-hour, you like it, you know, healing sessions truly is, I love hearing you say that I'm going to be completely candid and say, up till social media, my work as 12. A bit 11 years of hair styling. I never had great success. I was, I always, I felt very talented. I always did a fabulous job. I always made my clients very happy.

42:22 I always did great, and whatever I was doing it's a very competitive industry in New York. I never had a super breakout success moment and that was challenging. That was challenging in its own, right, especially when I felt very talented, what always kept me going was just what you described was, exactly what you described, whether it's a model on a A photo shoot that you get to bring up and exalt in and show that this industry can be fabulous and kind, whether it's a going to Consumers, just a regular person's house and doing their hair and connecting that way. I had random jolliest and and Bloomingdale's and curl people's hair all day for 50 bucks, an hour for a haircut, for a curling iron company, you know, even though I talk to you for five minutes, that that is what kept me. So, It.

43:13 I adore that people they let you put there and put my hands in their head. That's instant connection people are sitting down. They're trusting me to affect the outcome of how they look. And it's just this instant connection that has always been so meaningful to me and it carried me through the times of hard work with limited recognition, it really did because it meant more to me than anything. And I think that that's a really good point about What is true success? What is the real meaning of abundance or feeling fulfilled and in what you're doing? Because it's not always about the money. It's not about the Benjamins a lot of times, it's that feeling that you are living the way that you want to. And you're really exploring your passions and if you can get up every day and feel like, oh my god, this is my life. I I love it.

44:08 Eating out as long as you have the you know, your basic needs met and you got people around That love you. And you know your you have this appreciation and gratitude inside, then it opens doors and look at the door and set it open for you at the time of a pandemic, when the world was shutting down, you were able to be open to something like that, and that doesn't happen unless you already have that inside you, that feeling of abundance and that feeling of success and and granted. I know it's so easy for us all to get our cell. Get down on ourselves. Like, I'm getting older, I should be married or I should be farther along in my career, I should have this title.

44:48 I should, I should shit. I often will say stop shooting on yourself. You know, it's like really like know what you're doing is perfect. Stop shutting on yourself because that in and of itself will cause your success to be delayed as long as you feel that you are, you know, moving forward more into the place where you want to be and the life that you want to live and you're going to create Magic. Then then yeah, I think that it comes in all shapes and forms and I'm just I'm ecstatic to see this like this, that you're that, you're manifesting for yourself right now and I know that it's going to. I know we're going to see you on TV, you know, real soon. It's like I me I already I already see it like there's stuff happening in your Vortex that, you know, we can have a further conversation about I'm kind of intuitive that way.

45:38 All right. You're you know, I always liked your lips to God's ears baby like Wait, you know, we've got a direct connection me and the dude above the Divine daddy at any rate, just a couple more things because I know we're soon coming to a close, but let's talk a little bit more about hair aside from the round brush and the dryer. Are there some other tips that you think is good for like people to keep their hair looking, it's healthy best. Yeah, I am a huge. I'm always trying to tell Will to use leave in conditioner and it's interesting because some people will say my hair is so greasy and fine.

46:18 And way that there are there is not one leave-in conditioner. There is a whole range, those products that people call primers. That's a leave in conditioner, those super lightweight spray. There is the whole gamut of the most lightest weight sprays or in shower rinse out but post conditioner product. There's all kinds of things all the way through. Evie, custards and creams, and tubs of cholesterol that they call it, with all of those things, it to me, I try to explain it like this, your hair is a fiber. It's like cotton or silk, or any of these things, and you want to treat it with something to help it be protected. So it's kind of like fabric softener, you know how fabric softener preserves the life of your clothes or whatever. They spray at the dry cleaner before they put the heat on the silk.

47:11 It's that Want to use something like that. It's it just, it really helps preserve that if you want the length because if your hair is this short, it's almost like do whatever you want because you're cutting it all off before. It's if you always maintain short hair, all right, do anything you please. But if you want to have some length, you want to do those things. Those healthy healthy. I don't know if I like that term, but those healthy hair habit. So something on the wet hair, even if you're going to go totally, Unstyled, no bloger. Nothing. A little something goes a long way. Protecting your hair from breaking. When you put your jacket on break, you know these little things we don't even think about.

47:53 It's not just that the curling iron damages your hair, it's twirling. My hair, my finger, it's zipping up my sweatshirts, putting on a jacket or laying on the couch or sitting on an airplane, with your head. You know, traction damage, that's the whole type of hair damage though, some sort of leave. In will always benefit that. And I talked about that a lot. I feel like I talk about that all the time. Also, I also this is a tough one and I get some really negative visceral reactions to this. I don't recommend hot, hot water on it. I don't think it's great for your scalp. The skin just in terms of dryness, really because hot water is so drying.

48:36 It's also not good for the length. Super hot wire and that doesn't mean that it's got to be cold. Cold, you know, lukewarm is its own fair play. Do I love taking a lukewarm shower? I sure don't. I sure do and if I am not washing my hair and I've got it all pinned up in a way, I will take a hot shower because I'll sacrifice my dry skin faster than I'll sacrifice dry here. So I know the joy and the love of a hot shower, but you know what? The hot water that really hot water can be very hard on your hair and your scalp, interesting people. Tear that I hate to be the one to tell it to him. I have seen those videos of people doing that, you know, the ice bath plunges. I just don't get it.

49:21 I am, like more power to you. I'm going to take my gosh, look at this shit there, for a few minutes till luxuriated, but like, yeah, I know you're but you're exactly right. I think that, you know, the stretching and even like, they were saying, like, the towel, drying, the towel, drying the right, and then all of that, you know, using something with padding. I actually just wanted to do a An ingredient awareness plug. And that is that, you know, a lot of those products that make your hair look beautifully, shiny and sleek and what not have, like, silicones in them. One that I would ask people to stay away from are the cyclo penta silicones like anything that says cyclo before the siloxane or or what have you because they don't break down in the environment. They look gorgeous on your hair but they get into the water stream that they go down the drain. They go out into Wildlife, they get into the water stream, they start killing the environment, and Do what you can. I know that it's so hard because they work so beautifully. They look so good.

50:18 You know, if you got a special occasion of course, you know, I am like, oh for it but you know, dimethicone is better. There are some natural silicone Alternatives that are also good. But yeah a lot of those like the the biotin, the panels and the kind of carrot like all of those great ingredients for your career that will help you know, keep it will the fibers strong to your point and nourished and more resilient more elastic so that it doesn't break. Those are all extremely good tips. Yeah. That was a tough one for me to understand because I as a hairstylist you know there's a lot of online conversation about silicone or silicone free and I was not understanding it from the point of view of the environment for a long time and I just wanted to make clear, you know, people there's a lot of misinformation about silicones effect on your hair online and I always wanted to try to clear that up and make people feel comfortable making the decision with real information.

51:12 Shannon sort of misleading information and then my eyes were open by an amazing dermatologist who I met who has a product line about the non-biodegradable side of silicon, which I was completely unaware of, I was completely unaware that and it's a job. That's not your job. Your job is to make people look as gorgeous as they can right there. While they know it's a tough pill does, that was a tough pill to swallow for me and I do still work with I work. I Have a lot of silicone free options. I do still work with products with silicone but it's less than I used to say, if I could bathe them every day, I work because they make everything, you know, your skin silky. They they help seal in the moisture. Good Lord.

51:56 I love ice Ella silicone. But you know, it's like if I had to choose like I do read the labels and anything with a cyclo in front of it, I try to avoid now, that's very useful information. I actually didn't know that. I was aware of the difference in the Cyclone, the cones. I didn't know that. Was that the Cyclones were worse for the environment? Yeah, yeah, good to know. Okay, let's see. I think that there's just one final question I have for you. Is there any advice that you give to people who don't feel comfortable with themselves, like with their skin or their hair? Like what would you say to that person? First of all, I would say I'm right there with you.

52:38 You know that it's a battle and you know fake it till you make it fake it till you make it it's half of it is delusion you know half of it is convincing yourself and believing it and nobody you're never going to please everyone. So you might as well just please yourself and and just believe In what you're bringing to the table, whether even on your hardest day to get, there you deserve it, you deserve that that level of comfort from within, and if you can't really feel it in your heart one day, friggin fake, it just convince yourself, you know, and not to not to say of mental health, oh, get over it. I hope I'm not painting a picture of, oh, get over it in terms of like mental health struggles, but But when it comes to that confidence and bringing your authentic self to the table on the days where it feels daunting, just fake it, I knows maybe that's maybe, that's too simplified. But yeah, there's actually a almost a build on what you're saying because I think that that is like, you know, so powerful. Because number one, you admitting that you're right there with everybody because sometimes, you know, it's easy to look at Celebrities or people on you. Instagram is Tick-Tock and think oh they've got it made and I, you know, they have such they exude sell such self-confidence. They never have if they'd never

54:11 seems like everybody just because the camera might not be on when it is opened. When all that is happening and something that I had been practicing myself lately is like I've come across a bunch of people who when they're trying to project something that and inside they're still feeling like they're not there yet and and they're like, oh my gosh, I know that it, you know, I should be faking it until I make it and then I'll get there. But they start to feel like imposter syndrome and that unto itself is a little bit debilitating. And so one phrase that I like to use is act as if or be it until you become it. Like because what we want to do is give yourself that space and I find meditation to be the best thing ever because it, you know, there's a whole lot of beauty issues that come from cortisol, from stress, from, like, all of these things, you know, between hair loss and Temples and wrinkles, and all of the things that stress causes our body to, you know, to go through to fight it. If you can give yourself that quiet space and meditate on your awesomeness.

55:16 And the idea is that you have to be. So convinced in your knowing of your worth of your power of your beauty of your place, in this world of your of everything that is good about you and that meditation giving yourself those moments even if it's just a couple of minutes. Minutes. Even if it's while you're in the shower or driving, I'll add it. I like doing driving meditations or walking meditations. Walking the dog, you know? It's just like they like say these affirmations over and over to yourself again. And again until it gets into your system because then and only then will you really be able to feel more confident? No matter if you get, is it, no matter if your hair is not doing what you wanted to do, it just, you know, you find a way around it and life is good, that's such valuable Bass and I I'm I'm so enjoy hearing that because that saying fake it till you make. It is not really giving anyone an option. Whereas what you're saying is you're giving these amazing tangible things you can do to get to that mindset and you're so right.

56:22 And it's funny because people like oh I don't have time for that but you know you should probably just dedicate like double the time. If you think that you don't have time or any other time. Really? Cuz you know if your if your life Is so busy that you don't feel in control of what your day is. That's when you know that, you know, that's like, oh, that check that awareness. Oh, I, you know, I am, you know, Under the Influence, not over the influence, right? We always want to be over the influence. The influencers are not being fluency. Yeah, anyway, oh my gosh, Matt, I love speaking with you today. I hope we can stay in touch. You are such a, an amazing extraordinary person. Everybody.

57:05 You are not if you if you don't already. Matt loves hair on Tick-Tock on Instagram. You're going to see much more of him and he always has the best tips ever. Thank goodness I have had such a blast getting with you your Insight and perspective and point of view on life are thrilling to me and just so, so fabulous. I adore you. Thank you so much.